


sang, my love

by seaorbit



Series: sweeter than a midsummer’s breeze. [2]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Adopting a dog, Blowjobs, Bottom Kang Yeosang, Cuddling, Detective Choi Jongho, Doctor Kang Yeosang, Doctor Kim Hongjoong, Established Relationship, Family Dynamics, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Making Out, Marriage Proposal, Moving In Together, Set in Paris, Slice of Life, Smut, Top Choi Jongho, both of them were virgins again lmao, can be read as a stand-alone, catsitting, lawyer Jeong Yunho, no beta we die like men, sequel to Joong Darling, set in australia, soft and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:55:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23087380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaorbit/pseuds/seaorbit
Summary: doctor kang yeosang has always had trouble letting love in, until one night at an art gallery—where he meets detective choi jongho, who teaches him that love isn't as bad as he thought, as he meets new friends and makes a life-changing trip across the globe.(or, yeosang falls in love with jongho and learns to love his flaws. sequel to joong, darling.)
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: sweeter than a midsummer’s breeze. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642975
Comments: 25
Kudos: 81





	1. my love.

Kang Yeosang never much of an art enthusiast, in fact, he often found himself wondering why nearly everything anyone could come up with was considered museum-worthy. The last thing he wanted to do was to be stuck in a stuffy art gallery with snobbish rich people, forced to sip his martini and keep his head down.

He had his lovely friend at school to thank for sending him to a high-profile art gallery alone, he also had his unapproachable nature to blame for him not having a boyfriend and being hilariously lonely.

What was he even looking at? To the man next to him, it could have been an acid-tripping worm for all he cared, but to Yeosang, it looked like a mess of lines resembling a carrot. Yeosang was broken out of his trance by a young-looking boy coming to stand next to him. The boy cleared his throat, turning his head to look at Yeosang.

“If I told you this painting looked like a torpedo, would you think I was crazy?” The stranger asked, squinting as the light rays reflected off of the glass. In Yeosang’s mind, the fact that there was a boy the same age as him visiting the gallery was a win.

Yeosang shrugged, “I interpreted it as a carrot, I’m not any better.”

The boy laughed, “I guess all art is up to interpretation nowadays.” Yeosang chuckled softly, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. The boy was incredibly handsome, with perfectly placed black hair and dark, inquisitive brown eyes. He held out his hand, “Choi Jongho.”

Yeosang smiled, shaking the boy’s hand slowly, “Kang Yeosang.”

“So, what brings you to this gallery? You’re cute, but you don’t strike me as someone who does this often.” Jongho said, walking alongside Yeosang to the next piece.

“My friend told me that they had a literal miniature art exhibit here, so I just had to go.” Yeosang explained, “I’m not sure why I listened to him, considering that I’m lonely and being here alone just makes me look weird.”

Jongho chuckled, “well, I’m alone, too, if that’s anything.”

Yeosang smiled, “but you’re very handsome, it doesn’t make much sense that you’re alone here.”

Jongho stepped next to Yeosang, a small smirk playing on his lips. “You’re better qualified to be in this gallery than all of the other pieces here,” he murmured, giving Yeosang a wink. Yeosang turned red, looking down at his shoes.

“You’re making me blush,” Yeosang whispered, almost inaudibly. He cleared his throat, straightening his back, “what brought you here, anyway?”

Jongho shrugged, “I’m friends with this guy from my agency, and he wouldn’t stop talking about this gallery, he suggested that I go during the weekend.” Yeosang nodded slowly, moving along to the next piece. Jongho leaned in, “personally, I don’t think I belong here.” Yeosang widened his eyes, giving him a look.

“It’s like you read my mind,” he replied. “All these people are snobby, rich, and have a very strange taste in everything.” Yeosang said, “I mean, I’m a doctor, but money has never been of interest to me. I guess growing up in Canada made me humble.”

Jongho chuckled, humming quietly, “I should say the same. Not the Canada thing, though, I grew up here. ”

Yeosang quirked a brow, “interesting. You said something about an agency, what kind?”

“Don’t tell anyone this,” Jongho said teasingly, “I’m a detective.”

Yeosang covered his mouth, “no way, that’s pretty awesome.”

The rest of the night consisted of Jongho and Yeosang having fun and enjoying their time together, which Yeosang thought was strange, considering he couldn’t remember the last time he had fun before that night, he was a student, after all.

In the parking lot, Yeosang was preparing to bid farewell to Jongho. Jongho smiled, bringing Yeosang’s hand up to his mouth, he left a soft kiss on the top of his hand. “Before you go, would it be alright if I got your number?” Jongho asked.

Yeosang nodded eagerly, “of course.”

They exchanged numbers, Yeosang even dared to add a small emoji next to Jongho’s name. “Goodnight, Yeosang,” Jongho shot Yeosang another dazzling smile.

Yeosang felt as if his heart was going to beat out of his chest, “goodnight, Jongho.” Jongho disappeared into the night, leaving Yeosang with a warm feeling in his stomach that he had never felt before.

(⋆☆⋆)

Jongho arrived to work with a minor headache and a skip in his step, it had been one day since he had gotten Yeosang’s number, and he felt happy.

“Agent Choi, we need you in the conference room.” The secretary said upon Jongho’s arrival, Jongho nodded, scanning his keycard and walking in the direction of the conference room. He arrived, opening the door and taking his usual spot next to Choi San.

“Hey, Jongho.” The agents were formal when their supervisor wasn’t around, “how are things going?” San asked, giving Jongho a smile.

Jongho sighed, “pretty good.” He chuckled quietly, “actually, I got this boy’s number while I was there.”

San smirked, “oh? What’s his name?”

Jongho smiled dreamily, “Yeosang.”

San raised an eyebrow, “see? This is exactly why I asked you to go to the gallery,” he pointed to his head, “I have a big brain.”

Jongho rolled his eyes, “so, you’re telling me that you just magically predicted that I’d meet Yeosang at the gallery?”

San nodded, “yes, that exactly what I’m—”

The room went silent, their supervisor had entered the room. “Good morning, everyone.” His voice was quite loud in the silent room, “thank you all for joining me here this morning.” He paused, laughing, “as if you had a choice.”

The rest of the room laughed nervously, causing their supervisor to change the slide. “So, let’s begin with our meeting today.” He said, “we have a lot to go through.”

He flipped to another slide, “today, we’re going to be talking about a new policy that has just been put into place.” He began, “some of you may be relocated at any point in time.” Everyone in the room gasped, Jongho especially.

Their supervisor held a hand in the air, “now, now, guys, it’s not that big of a deal. Most of you will not have to do anything like that, only the ones who choose to. If you are someone who is comfortable with this, the agency will be paying for your expenses.”

The room began to fill with whispers and murmurs, Jongho and San began to talk about the matter. “Would you leave?” San whispered, “I don’t know if I could, I have Wooyoung here.”

Jongho shrugged, mind drifting to the boy he met the previous day. “Maybe, I don’t really know.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“So, it says here that you’ve applied for residency in Paris?” Yeosang’s professor asked, clicking through something on his computer.

Yeosang nodded, “yeah, that’s right. I applied for a few clinic but the one in Paris is my first choice, what they were looking for was basically me in a nutshell.” His professor glanced at him through his glasses, reading over something on the screen.

“That’s good to hear, usually most students don’t have a one-year plan for when they graduate, I’m glad that you are one of the people who do.” The professor said, “do you know when they’re getting back to you?”

“This week, I think.” Yeosang replied, tapping his foot on the ground nervously as his phone buzzed quietly in his coat pocket.

His professor grinned proudly, “I hope you get in, Yeosang.” He said, “you’re an amazing student and at the top of your class, you’re on a path to a very bright future.”

Yeosang bowed slightly, shaking his professor’s hand. “Thank you so much, sir.” Yeosang stood up, giving his professor another smile before disappearing into the hallway. He felt around for his phone in his pocket, fishing it out and unlocking it.

He sighed once he saw that Wooyoung had called him, he called him back, hoping that he didn’t miss anything important. Wooyoung answered cheerily, “hi, Yeosang!”

Yeosang smiled, “hi, Wooyoung, what’s going on?”

Wooyoung laughed, “my best friend senses were tingling, so I decided to call you.”

“Well, you may have been right,” Yeosang replied, “can you meet me the cafe?”

Although he couldn’t see him, Yeosang was sure Wooyoung nodded. “Of course, I’ll be in our usual spot, see you then!” Wooyoung ended the call, causing Yeosang to briskly walk down the stairs and to his car.

The drive to the cafe was quiet, only the quiet patter of rain against Yeosang’s car window could be heard. Yeosang parked his car, stepping out into the air. He walked inside to find Wooyoung waiting for him at their usual table, “hey.” Yeosang greeted, giving Wooyoung a small wave.

Wooyoung stood up to give Yeosang a hug, “so, how did your meeting with your professor go?” He asked, gesturing for Yeosang to sit down.

Yeosang sat down, sighing contentedly, “pretty good.”

“Did you tell him about your residency?” Wooyoung asked, “you get your results this week, right?”

Yeosang nodded, “yeah, he told me that he hopes I’ll succeed.” He lowered his head slightly, “I hope I do, too.” He added quietly, waiting for Wooyoung to place their order. Wooyoung placed their order, turning back to Yeosang.

“So, apparently my best friend senses worked, what happened?” Wooyoung asked, looking at Yeosang inquisitively.

Yeosang hummed, “I met a boy yesterday.”

Wooyoung made a noise, “elaborate, please.”

“His name is Jongho, I met him at the art gallery and I got his number.” Yeosang explained, putting a finger to his lips before Wooyoung could cause a scene.

“Finally, it’s about time you get a boyfriend, join the club.” Wooyoung said, taking a sip of his drink and snickering quietly.

Yeosang rolled his eyes, “why am I friends with you?”

Wooyoung shrugged, “I’m a real catch.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Hello, Yeosang?” Yeosang blinked, eyes adjusting to the light. A boy from his class waved his hand in front of his face, “I have a handout for you.”

Yeosang nodded, thanking the boy and taking a paper. It was a few days later and he felt out of it, like the world seemed to have stopped. He rubbed his temples, exiting the lecture hall. His phone made a noise, but Yeosang could have sworn he had put it on silent.

As Yeosang walked into the parking ramp, he saw it. There it was, a text from Jongho. Yeosang clambered into his car, shutting the door. Jongho’s text asked—politely—if he could call Yeosang, Yeosang agreed, of course. “Hi, Yeosang.” Yeosang heard Jongho’s warm voice from the other side of the line.

Yeosang’s heart felt warm, “hi, Jongho, how are you doing?”

He heard Jongho chuckle warmly, “good, how about you?”

“Fine,” Yeosang replied.

He heard Jongho take a breath, “I’m just going to get right to the point. I enjoyed spending time with you the other day, Yeosang, and I was wondering if you’d like to go on a date with me.”

Yeosang gasped, “yes, of course.”

He heard Jongho exhale slowly, “oh, thank goodness, I was afraid that would end badly. When are you available, tonight, maybe?”

Yeosang hummed, “sure, I have nothing going on tonight.”

“Is it okay if I pick you up?” Jongho asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Yeosang felt as if he were going to implode, “what a gentleman.” He said teasingly, “I would love that.”

“Okay. I’ll see you soon, Yeosang,” Jongho said.

The call ended, but Yeosang’s face burned. “Calm yourself, you just met the guy.” He mumbled, parking his car and walking inside his apartment building.

Yeosang entered his room, sitting on his bed and pressing Wooyoung’s contact. “Hey, Wooyoung, I have a slight problem.”

Ten minutes later, Yeosang had finished video chatting with Wooyoung and had a solid plan of what he was going to wear to his date with ten minutes to spare. “I guess this would be the time to give myself a pep talk.” Yeosang began, before his phone chimed.

“Never mind, he’s here.” After putting on a raincoat, Yeosang skipped down the stairs, he was greeted by Jongho holding a single flower.

“Hi, Yeosang.” Jongho greeted, fingers gripping the flower’s stem.

Yeosang took the flower, gingerly planting a kiss on Jongho’s cheek. “Hi, Jongho.”

“Should we go?” Jongho asked, gesturing to his car. Yeosang nodded, following him outside.

Soon enough, they arrived at the restaurant. Jongho seemed to know Yeosang’s exact taste, fancy, but not too fancy. “After you,” Jongho held the door open for Yeosang, inviting him inside the building.

Jongho pulled out a chair for Yeosang, “here you go.”

Yeosang smiled, “thank you.”

They placed their orders, “so, um, is there anything I should know about you before the waiter comes back with wine?” Jongho asked.

Yeosang giggled, “not that I know of, wine is like my truth serum. What about you?”

“Nothing really important, so I’ll ask a question first. How do you spend your mornings?” Jongho asked.

Yeosang sighed, “I usually meditate and have a cup of tea if I have the time, I’m finishing my last year of college, so my mornings are pretty open. What about you, do you work out?” He turned red, realizing how strange his question sounded.

Jongho nodded, “yeah, I do. I go to the gym every morning.”

Yeosang turned redder, “I can tell.” He cleared his throat, “do you have any hidden talents?”

Jongho chuckled, “I used to do plays when I was younger, and the district’s director favored me, but I turned down the roles where there was a female love interest, my mom could never figure out why, well, she knows now.”

Yeosang smiled, “that’s cute and relatable.”

They kept talking, mostly about how school was going for Yeosang, and the strange things that happened at Jongho’s job. At the end of their date, Jongho straightened his back, cheeks hurting from smiling so much. “Yeosang, can I drive you home?”

Yeosang nodded, “of course.”

The drive to Yeosang’s apartment was a quick one, due to the night traffic being manageable. Jongho opened the door, stepping out to stand in front of Yeosang. “I had a really good time tonight, Jongho.”

Jongho beamed, “I’m so glad.” They moved closer together, faces nearly touching. “Can I see you again?”

Yeosang nodded, “I’d like that a lot.”

Jongho was silent for a moment, “can I kiss you?”

Yeosang’s lips curled into a slight smile, “please.”

Jongho closed the gap between them, holding Yeosang’s face gently. Yeosang sighed, closing his eyes. Jongho moved his lips slowly, tilting his head. Yeosang moved impossibly closer, wrapping his arms around Jongho’s neck.

They pulled apart, both smiling like idiots. “Have a good night, Yeo—” Yeosang grabbedJongho’s hands, connecting their lips again. They pulled apart for air again, “wow.” Jongho said, dazed grin on his face.

“I guess I can cross my first kiss off of my bucket list,” Yeosang said.

Jongho’s eyes widened, “that was your first kiss?”

Yeosang nodded, “yeah. You know what would be romantic, if that was your first kiss, too.” Jongho turned a shade of red, lowering his head. Yeosang laughed, “it was, wasn’t it?” Jongho nodded slowly, turning quiet.

“I’m glad I got to share my first kiss with you, Yeosang.” Jongho said quietly, “have a good night.” He gently kissed Yeosang on the forehead, bidding him goodnight with a small wave. Yeosang walked inside his apartment with a light blush on his face, lifting his hand to his lips, he went to bed that night with sweet dreams of the enigma that was Choi Jongho.

(⋆☆⋆)

Months passed, and after about ten calls, each one lasting an hour or more, and even more dates, Yeosang and Jongho made their relationship official. Yeosang felt happy, as if all of his previous stresses and troubles had magically gone away.

They began to talk to each other more, opening up about everything going on in their lives. They started to visit each other’s houses, spending more and more time together. It was finally the end of fall, but it hadn’t gotten too cold yet, so they decided on taking a walk together.

“Yeosang?” Jongho looked up and Yeosang, intertwining their fingers together.

Yeosang met his gaze, giving him a smile. “Hm?”

“What are we?” Jongho asked, “I mean, we can be whatever you want to be, I just want to know what you think.”

Yeosang chuckled, “boyfriends.” He replied simply, “we’re boyfriends.” He checked for Jongho’s reaction, “well, we don’t have to be anything if you don’t want to, I under—”

Jongho cut him off with a kiss on the lips, “boyfriends it is.”

They arrived at Yeosang’s house, “Yeosang, I wanted to ask you if you would like go on another date with me next Tuesday.” Jongho said, “it’s supposed to be really nice outside that day.” Yeosang smiled, giving Jongho a nod.

“Of course,” Yeosang replied. Jongho turned on his heel, about to begin the walk to his car. “Jongho?”

Jongho turned around, “yeah.”

Yeosang smiled shyly, “can you stay the night?” Jongho smirked, connecting their lips and pulling Yeosang close to him.

“Absolutely.” Jongho replied, “hey, Yeosang?”

“Yeah?”

“This may sound crazy, but, do you want to go zip-lining with me next week?” Jongho asked, “I promise it won’t be dangerous.”

Yeosang hummed, “sure, I guess so, as long as I won’t die.”

“Well, you’re going to need to sign a waiver, you know, just in case.” Jongho said, “but you won’t fall, because I’ll be there to catch you.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Ok, I’m officially terrified.” Yeosang mumbled, tightening his harness. “This harness is blocking my air passageways, and I could just fall down there at any point.”

Jongho hugged Yeosang from behind, “aw, Sang, I promise you won’t get hurt.”

“Why, have you done this before?” Yeosang asked.

Jongho smiled, “as a matter of fact, yes, I have, many times.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I used to this all the time with my family, my dad is still quite the thrill seeker.” Jongho said, “I’ll help you, don’t worry.”

“You better,” Yeosang retorted, “I’m putting my life in your hands, Choi Jongho.”

“You’re just going to have to trust me, Kang Yeosang.” Jongho replied sarcastically, “unless I’m untrustworthy.”

Yeosang shook his head, “no.” He smirked, “my full name sounds nice when you say it.” Yeosang said, “what do we do?”

“It’s pretty simple, you just let go and hold on to the wire, or you could hold my hand, if you like.” Jongho explained, causing Yeosang to turn red. “We’re going to be right next to each other, if that’s anything.”

“I’ll be fine, I think.” Yeosang said, “let’s get this over with.”

Jongho positioned himself at the end of the cliff, “we can get lunch after this.” He planted his feet on the ground, “are you ready?”

“Sure, we’ll go with that.” Yeosang replied, raising his voice as the wind picked up its speed. He launched himself off of the cliff, feeling the trees rush past his face. He looked to his side to see Jongho beside him, giving him a bright smile.

“We’re almost there!” Jongho shouted, holding out his hand, “do you still not want to hold my hand?”

Yeosang interlaced their fingers, “actually, I think I might take you up on that offer.”

They finally landed, Jongho wrapped an arm around Yeosang’s shoulders. “So, what did you think of that? Was it scary, exciting, will I be hearing from your lawyer?”

Yeosang chuckled, “jokes on you, I don’t have a lawyer, never needed one.”

Jongho pressed a kiss to Yeosang’s lips, “I hope you don’t need one anytime soon.” He picked Yeosang up, holding him as if he weighed nothing, “let’s get lunch.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“You need help cooking,” Yeosang announced, “your attempts are depressing me.”

Jongho gasped, making an offended face. “Oh really?” He pinned Yeosang down on the soft carpet of his bedroom, probing at his sides.

Yeosang laughed, attempting to escape from Jongho’s grasps. “What? It’s true, I signed us up for couples’s cooking classes!”

Jongho halted his attack, “fine, I admit it, I suck at cooking.”

Yeosang smiled in satisfaction, “good, because we all knew where that was going.” He gave a Jongho a hug, “don’t worry, you’ll be a master chef in no time.”

Jongho sighed, “I sure hope so.”

A few days later, Jongho and Yeosang found themselves walking into a large kitchen, and Jongho was immediately riddled with fear. Yeosang squeezed his hand, “don’t worry, Jongho, this chef was reviewed really well online.”

“Just because they were reviewed well online doesn’t mean they’re good in real life,” Jongho mumbled quietly, Yeosang gave him a look.

They walked inside, only to be greeted by a friendly looking man in a chef’s uniform. “Good afternoon! Can I get your names?” He asked, looking at Jongho expectantly.

Jongho nudged Yeosang discreetly, “oh, right, Kang Yeosang and Choi Jongho, I registered online.” Yeosang explained, watching as the man looked through a list of names on his tablet.

“Kang…here you guys are! I’ve got both of you signed in under one account, find a table and we’ll begin shortly.” He said, turning around to face another couple.

Yeosang found them a table, rubbing Jongho’s shoulders, “you can relax, Jong, there are going to be other people here.” He felt Jongho’s shoulders relax, “good boy.”

Jongho turned red, “you can’t say that, there are other people here.”

Yeosang smirked, leaning close to Jongho’s ear, “watch me.”

Jongho moved his lips over Yeosang neck, gently planting kisses across his skin. “Try and fight me, Yeosang.”

Yeosang bit his lip, eyes darting around the room to ensure no one had their eyes on them. “Jongho, I have this knife and I’m not afraid to use it.”

The chef stepped up to a pedestal at the front of the room, causing Jongho to remove his lips from Yeosang’s neck. “Hello, everybody! I promise that you will all be master chefs when you walk out of this building,” he began. Jongho gave Yeosang a wink before turning back to the chef, watching Yeosang turn red out fo the corner of his eye.

(⋆☆⋆)

Jongho buttoned his dress shirt, turning around to make sure he didn’t leave anything out. “Bracelet, check. Phone, check. Keys—not check.” Jongho moved to the next room, rifling through drawers in an attempt to find his keys. “I found them, I better not be late to meet Yeosang.”

Jongho speed-walked to his car, starting the car as if his life depended on it. Fall had finally ended, making way for the arrival of winter. Winters in Australia were the standard cold ones, but it hadn’t gotten too cold, the temperature was just right, with the occasional breeze.

“Yeosang, I’m here.” Jongho announced, a smile making its way to his face upon seeing Yeosang walk down the stairs. Jongho wrapped Yeosang in a tight embrace, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Are you ready?”

Yeosang nodded, taking a seat in Jongho’s car, “where are we headed?”

“There’s this amazing garden that I think you’d really like,” Jongho replied.

They arrived at the garden shortly, the evening rush was over by the time Jongho parked his car at the garden. Jongho stepped out, opening the door for Yeosang. “After you,” he said quietly.

Yeosang smiled, “still such a gentleman.”

Jongho led him inside, “they have this special time during the evening where the entire garden will be dark, and the only sources of light are the fireflies—you can make reservations.” He opened the door, allowing Yeosang to step inside.

“Is there anyone else here?” Yeosang asked.

“Not that I know of, at least, I hope not.” Jongho closed the door, “it’s just us.”

Yeosang sat down near a tree, “you know, we didn’t talk about your job much during our last date, but you told me you’re a detective.”

Jongho sighed, “yeah, I’ve been on the force for a while now. It used to just be a passion thing, you know, doing what I love. But now, I’ve been promoted, and even though you’re usually supposed to follow your heart, it’s even better if you get paid really well for it, too.” He said, “my parents are rich, influential people, and they used to tell me that detectives don’t make a lot of money to discourage me from becoming one, but I always knew that things would work out in the end.”

Yeosang nodded slowly, “that’s honestly really cool, you didn’t give up on your dreams even when the world wanted you to.”

Jongho tucked a strand of hair behind Yeosang’s ear, “the thing about being a detective is that there’s always a chance of moving around.” He went quiet, “my supervisor told me that Icould apply to the program if I wanted to.” Yeosang looked at him intently, “I was going to, but I like what we have here.”

Yeosang smiled softly, “I do, too.” He looked up to Jongho, who sat on a bench, walking over and taking a seat next to him. “Where would you transfer?”

“He said there’s a possibility of me getting transferred to Paris,” Jongho replied, “why?”

Yeosang grinned, “Jongho, I don’t want to stop you from doing what you love—but, I got accepted to complete my residency in Paris, I’ll be guaranteed a job after that.”

Jongho’s eyes widened, “really?”

“Yes.”

Jongho leaned closer, lips dangerously close to Yeosang’s. “That’s amazing, Sang.”

Yeosang smiled at the nickname, “I like it when you call me that.”

Jongho licked his lips, “I guess I’ll have to call you that more often.” He closed the gap between them, holding Yeosang close. Yeosang moved to Jongho’s lap, moving his lips. Jongho’s lips moved to Yeosang’s neck, “I really like you, Yeosang.”

Yeosang bit his lip, “I like you too, Jongho, a lot.” He rolled his hips, earning a quiet groan from Jongho.

Jongho nearly closed his eyes as Yeosang applied pressure, “I used to not care about whether I’d be moved to another office.” He watched as Yeosang pulled off his shirt, “but I care now—now that I have you,” Jongho whispered.

Yeosang unbuttoned his shirt and wrapped his arms around his neck, “I’m glad that we have each other, Jongho.” Yeosang replied, closing his eyes, allowing Jongho to suck a mark into his skin and the night to engulf them.

(⋆☆⋆)

“Good morning, Sang.” Jongho sat up, giving Yeosang a smile. Even more time had passed, and Yeosang had spent the night at Jongho’s place for the tenth time, Jongho was about ready to ask Yeosang to move in with him. Yeosang sat up, giving Jongho a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll make breakfast,” Yeosang mumbled.

At the table, Jongho had a smile on his face. “Sang?”

“Hm?”

Jongho inhaled slowly, “you don’t have to, but I would really love it if you moved in with me.”

Yeosang got up from his chair, moving over to Jongho to wrap his arms around his neck. “Of course, Jong, I spend all of my free time here, anyway.”

Jongho pressed a kiss into Yeosang’s hair, “I’m so excited for you to live with me, Sang.” Yeosang giggled, burying his face in Jongho’s neck. “I know you have to go, but I have another thing to ask you.”

“Yeah?” Yeosang looked at Jongho with asmall smirk on his lips.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with my friends and I, I promise they’re nice, just a little weird, though.” Jongho said, “they’re a couple, if that’s anything.”

Yeosang nodded, “ok, it’ll be a double date.” He planted a gentle kiss on Jongho’s lips, “I’ll see you tonight, handsome.” He closed the door, exiting the building.

(⋆☆⋆)

“So, when are we going to lunch with your friends?” Yeosang asked, lifting his fork to his mouth.

“Tomorrow,” Jongho replied.

“Cool,” Yeosang brought his fork to Jongho’s lips.

True to Jongho’s word, the next day Jongho and Yeosang were in the car, heading to a sushi restaurant to meet Jongho’s friends. “Just warning you, my friends always act like they’re high,” Jongho said.

Yeosang chuckled, “how bad can they be? My friend is like that, too—he actually helped me pick out my outfit for our first date.”

Jongho grinned, “he must be quite the fashionista, because you looked amazing that day, and every other day.”

Yeosang turned red, lowering his head and looking out of the window. They arrived at the modern-looking restaurant not soon after, “Sang, we’re here.”

Jongho held the door open for Yeosang, walking in after him. “Are you nervous?” Jongho asked, cheeky smile on his face.

Yeosang shook his head, “not one bit.”

Yeosang nearly gasped as they approached the table and Wooyoung appeared in his vision. Wooyoung got up from his table, giving Yeosang a hug. “Hi, Yeosang!” Wooyoung smiled, “San mentioned that we’d be meeting with Jongho, and I put two and two together.”

It had been a while since Wooyoung and Yeosang had last seen each other, due to Yeosang being busy with his last days of medical school and Wooyoung preparing to be part of a large rocket launch.

They ordered, and Wooyoung turned his attention back to Jongho and Yeosang. “So, this is new.” He said, “Jongho did say something about a boy named Yeosang being the cutest boy he’s ever seen—”

Jongho covered Wooyoung’s mouth, quieting him before he could say anything else. “Uh—nope—I didn’t say anything like that, Wooyoung.” Jongho replied, smiling awkwardly.

While waiting for the waiter to come back, Wooyoung and San left to go to the bathroom. Yeosang placed his hand over Jongho’s looking him in the eye shyly, “you know, Jong, you don’t have to be shy, I think you’re the most handsome boy I’ve ever seen.”

Jongho smiled, “says you, Sang, you’re practically a tomato right now.” He replied, “I mean, I obviously do think that you’re scarily cute, I like how intense your eyes are, your smile is literally blinding, and your lips—” Jongho paused, “oh, I sound creepy right now.”

Yeosang chuckled, shaking his head, “you don’t.” He gave Jongho’s hand a gentle squeeze, “it’s my turn.” He sighed, “I like your heart shaped lips, the way that your eyes light up when you smile, and the way that your lips feel like flower petals whenever we kiss.”

Jongho’s face softened as the waiter brought over their food, “that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, Sang, thank you.”

Yeosang leaned over, gingerly placing a kiss on Jongho’s cheek. “You’re welcome, Jong, I should be the one thanking you, that was the biggest self esteem boost I’ve had since my mom last called.”

Wooyoung and San returned to the table, “I humbly apologize for Wooyoung’s crackhead behavior.” San began, earning a playful glare from Wooyoung. “Now, shall we eat?”

(⋆☆⋆)

As time passed, Jongho and Yeosang became closer together, Yeosang finally getting fully settled in enough to call Jongho’s apartment his own. Jongho made Yeosang feel happy, and lit up his previously darkened days, but Yeosang didn’t want to forget about his problems. There was a feeling in his heart, a feeling that something wasn’t right.

“Jong?” Yeosang padded into their shared room with a heavy heart. Jongho looked up from the book he was reading, giving Yeosang an inquisitive look.

“What is it, Sang?” Jongho set him book down next to him in an attempt to give Yeosang his full, undivided attention.

Yeosang drew in a breath, “I’ve been keeping something from you.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to him. “Not because I didn’t want to—because I was waiting for the right time.”

Jongho raised an eyebrow, sitting next to Yeosang and gently rubbing his hand. “You can tell me anything, Sang, I don’t want you to feel pressured to tell me anything.”

Yeosang sighed, “okay, a few years ago my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I tried my best to hide it from everyone, but it was ripping me apart from the inside. I’m sharing this with you because it’s almost her birthday, and I was wondering if—”

Jongho hugged Yeosang tightly, “oh, Sang, why didn’t you tell me?”

A lone tear slipped out of Yeosang’s eye, “I—I didn’t want to be a burden, annoying you with my emotional baggage.”

Jongho pressed a kiss to Yeosang’s forehead, “Sang, we all have baggage, I love you for who you are, all of that aside.”

Yeosang’s eyes widened, “you love me?” Although they had been dating for a while, the word had not yet been used in a conversation. It felt foreign, but so good.

Jongho nodded, “yeah, I do.”

Yeosang closed the gap between them, tears of mixed emotions making their way down Yeosang’s face. “I love you too, Choi Jongho, a lot.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Wooyoung, I feel like there’s so much I want to say to Jongho, but I don’t know how to say it, and I don’t want to make a big speech.” Yeosang said, slowly stirring his drink.

Wooyoung shrugged, “sounds like you don’t have too many options.” He paused, “you know what you could do, though?” Write him a letter, you’re a good writer, I’m sure you can find a way to make your words sounds amazing.”

Yeosang nodded, “that’s actually a really good idea.” Yeosang pressed his fingers to the top of his straw, observing the bubbles floating to the top of his cup. It was a quiet evening at the campus cafe, but there were a lot of students studying for finals.

Wooyoung straightened his back, crossing his legs. “A lot of the people here are studying, how are your grades these days?”

Yeosang shrugged, “I’ve been keeping up with my A.”

Wooyoung smiled, heels clicking against the floor. “That’s good, how’s Jongho doing?”

Yeosang lit up at the mention of his boyfriend, his lips curled into a smirk. “We’ve been doing really good, I actually told him that I love him a few days ago.”

Wooyoung nearly screeched, “Yeosang, why didn’t you tell me? This is a huge milestone for you guys. Did he say it back?”

“He was the one who said it in the first place,” Yeosang replied.

Wooyoung hummed, “ah, I see.”

Back at home, Yeosang began to pen his letter to Jongho. He knew he wanted it to be a sweet letter, one that really told Jongho everything, from how much he loved him, to his gentle critique of Jongho’s jokes.

Yeosang rolled his wrist, handwriting had never been his forte. He closed his eyes, thinking about how much his life had changed since Jongho had waltzed into his life. It came to him, and he began to write frantically, almost scribbling.

Minutes passed. Yeosang checked the clock, sighing as he looked over the paper. He decided it would be best to leave it on the table for Jongho to read, so he set it down on the kitchen table and retreated into his room.

Yeosang heard the quiet click of the lock as the door opened, “Sang, my love?” Jongho stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind him. “Love, what’s this?”

Yeosang padded into the kitchen, pulling Jongho into a hug. “It’s a letter,” he replied. “Read it, please.”

Jongho nodded, unfolding the paper. “‘Dear Jongho, ever since I met you at the art gallery, you’ve changed my life. You make me laugh, smile, and every time we kiss, I fall for you all over again. I love everything about you, even your cringe-worthy jokes, and there’s no one I’d rather love than you. Love, Yeosang.’”

Jongho pulled Yeosang closer, connecting their lips. “Sang, that’s beautiful.” Jongho whispered, gently pushing Yeosang against the wall. Yeosang tilted his head, moving his lips slowly, “you’re so amazing.” They pulled apart, “I love you.”

Yeosang smiled, “I love you, too.”

(⋆☆⋆)

Jongho looked down at his coffee, eyes threatening to close. “Hey, Jongho, you good?” San asked, causing Jongho to shake his head, looking San in the eyes tiredly.

“Yeah, just peachy.” Jongho replied, “I didn’t get much sleep last night, I was busy thinking about a few things.”

San leaned his hand on his hand, “if you don’t mind me asking, what were you thinking about?”

“I’m meeting Yeosang’s mom soon, and he’s meeting my parents.” Jongho said, “I’m a little nervous about what they’ll think of me.”

San sighed, “oh, Jongho, you have so much to learn.” He began, “when I met Wooyoung’s parents, I learned that it’s all about making a lasting impression, after all, there’s a possibility that they might be your future in-laws.”

Jongho nearly choked, “in-laws?” He asked incredulously, causing San to chuckle and shake his head.

“I mean, you never know, Yeosang might just be the one.” San replied, giving Jongho a wink. “You should call him now.”

Jongho raised and eyebrow, “you know, that would actually be a good idea, I’ve been missing one of my shirts and he’s the one who did laundry last.” Jongho dialed Yeosang’s number, which was easy, considering that Yeosang’s contact had been saved to Jongho’s favorites folder.

“Hey, Jong, what’s up?” Jongho smiled when he heard Yeosang’s soft voice from the other side. “How’s work?”

“Uh, I’m on lunch break right now, are you?” Jongho asked, hoping that he hadn’t interrupted Yeosang during something important.

He heard a quiet chuckle come from Yeosang, “yeah, I’m on break.”

“So, I haven’t been able to find that shirt I like, and I know you did the laundry last, did you happen to see it?” Jongho asked gently, hoping San wouldn’t intrude on his private conversation.

Yeosang went quiet, “uh, yeah. I’m wearing it.” Jongho said nothing, “I just missed you—and the shirt smelled like you, that’s all.”

Jongho chuckled, “oh, love, you’re so cute.”

He heard Yeosang sigh in relief, “what, you don’t think I’m weird?”

“Not at all, Sang, I miss you, too.” Jongho whispered, “wear that until I get home, okay? I have a surprise for you.”

“Okay,” Yeosang replied, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“What are you thinking about, love?” Jongho looked at Yeosang expectantly, gently combing his fingers through Yeosang’s blond hair. The arrival of spring meant cyclones, which also meant that Yeosang and Jongho got time off of work and school to spend with each other.

“You,” Yeosang replied. He moved his game piece, lazily looking around the living room, “your turn.”

Jongho moved his pawn, “checkmate.”

Yeosang smiled softly, “good job.”

Jongho planted a kiss on Yeosang’s forehead, “you’re a worthy opponent, Sang.”

Jongho rubbed Yeosang’s hand, “what else should we do? We’ve played every board game we have,” Yeosang said.

Jongho shrugged, “I’m not sure.”

Yeosang smirked, gently pushing Jongho onto the couch. “I have a few ideas,” he mumbled, connecting their lips. Yeosang moved his lips, threading his fingers through Jongho’s hair. They pulled apart, allowing Jongho to leave a kiss on Yeosang’s forehead and the tip of his nose. Yeosang pulled Jongho closer, tilting his head.

Jongho slipped his tongue inside Yeosang’s open mouth, gently pulling at Yeosang’s bottom lip with his teeth. “I love you,” Jongho mumbled.

“I love you, too.” Yeosang replied, sinking to his knees.

Jongho ran his thumb over Yeosang’s cheek, dragging his thumb across his lips. “Oh, love, are you sure?”

Yeosang nodded, “can I?” He asked, fiddling with Jongho’s waistband. Jongho nodded quickly, eyes widening as Yeosang pulled off his pants.

Jongho’s breath hitched as Yeosang took him into his mouth, his knees pressing into the soft carpet.

“Sang,” Jongho’s hands found their way into Yeosang’s hair, fingers sifting through his blonde locks. Yeosang looked up at him, eyelashes fluttering.

Yeosang bobbed his head, allowing Jongho’s length to hit the back of his throat, Yeosang was one of the few people who had been born without a gag reflex. Jongho groaned, looking down at Yeosang with nothing but affection in his eyes.

Yeosang’s tongue glided over the tip, moaning quietly. “You’re so good for me, Sang,” Jongho purred. Yeosang looked up at Jongho, spurred on by his praise. “Do you want—”

“Yes, please.” Yeosang interjected, licking his lips. Jongho came with a drawn out groan, capturing Yeosang’s lips in a kiss as he stood up, wiping the corner of his mouth. “I love you more than anything else that has and will ever exist, Jong, remember that.”

Jongho smiled against Yeosang’s lips, “don’t worry, love, I would never forget it.” Yeosang giggled, “I love you, Sang.”

Yeosang pressed a kiss to Jongho’s lips, “I love you, too.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“So, have you and Jongho done anything yet?” Wooyoung asked, adjusting the pin on his shirt that indicated that he was head astronaut.

Yeosang looked down at his plate, picking at his food. “Uh, not really, I just—”

“Actually, I don’t think I need details,” Wooyoung said teasingly. “How are you two doing, have you fought yet?”

“No, not yet.” Yeosang replied, he sure hoped he wouldn’t fight with Jongho, especially since they had recently moved in with each other. “How are you and San doing?”

Wooyoung smiled, “thank you for asking. We’ve been doing really good recently, he’s just so sweet.”

Yeosang chuckled quietly, “I’m glad to hear that.” He sighed, “I don’t think I’ve mentioned this yet, but—do you remember the clinic in Paris that I applied to?”

Wooyoung nodded, “yeah, did you get your results back yet?”

“Yeah, I did, I got in.” Yeosang replied, beaming widely.

Wooyoung stood up, pulling Yeosang into a tight embrace. “Oh my, I’m so proud of you, Yeosang, I knew you would get in, you’re incredible.” He took his seat again, “did you tell Jongho? You two are doing so well, what would he say?”

Yeosang’s smile got wider, “I told him, and he actually told me something very interesting.”

“What?”

“You know how Jongho’s a detective, right?” Yeosang asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“Yeah, why?”

Yeosang went quiet, “well, there’s this program he applied to that allows you to be relocated,” he paused, “and he might be getting relocated to Paris.”

“Woah, that’s great!” Wooyoung exclaimed, “you’re so lucky to be able to pursue what you love while also bring the one you love with you.”

Yeosang smiled, “I know, I’m so excited that I might be able to go to Paris with Jongho.”

“I’m so happy for you, Yeosang.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Hey, love? I think this apartment needs some remodeling,” Jongho whispered, turning on the light in the hallway.

Yeosang giggled, holding into Jongho’s arm, “no offense, but I agree.”

Jongho flopped onto their bed, “you up for a little shopping trip?”

That’s how they found themselves in a large furniture store, with every item have a hard-to-pronounce name in another language. Yeosang looked at the tag on a lamp, “I’m not sure about it, but I think this is supposed to mean brand new,” Yeosang murmured.

Jongho shrugged, “I think it would look nice in our living room, what do you think?”

Yeosang nodded, “I think so, too.”

It continued like that for another few hours, including the multitude of times Yeosang and Jongho needed to ask a worker for help, for the fear of crossing the line between humor and being culturally insensitive.

Yeosang rubbed his temples, leaning his head on their cart. “Are we done yet? I want to go home,” he complained, glaring at Jongho when he heard a quiet chuckle.

“Soon, my love, we need to get to the warehouse first.” Jongho replied, “it’s on the other side of the store, though.”

Yeosang whined, “I hate shopping.”

Jongho chuckled, “I know, love, I’m not a big fan of it, either.” He said, “we just need to get the things from the catalogue and then we can leave.” Yeosang laid his head on Jongho’s shoulder, letting out a quiet groan. Jongho ran a hand through Yeosang’s soft blonde hair, “we can get dinner after that, if you want.”

Yeosang leaned into the touch, and nodded, “that’d be nice.” Yeosang looked up, eyes widening as he saw the sliding doors of the warehouse approaching. “How’d we get here so fast?” He asked, lifting his head off of Jongho’s shoulder.

Jongho smiled warmly, placing a small, lasting kiss on Yeosang’s forehead that burned all the way down to his toes. “Because you were busy talking to me, my love.” A light blush painted Yeosang’s cheeks, as he hurried into the warehouse, Jongho trailing behind him like a lost puppy.

Five minutes later, Yeosang looked angry, but Jongho couldn’t tell why. “What’s going on, Sang?” Jongho asked, looking at his boyfriend with a questioning look.

Yeosang pouted, as if he meant to pull on Jongho’s heartstrings. “I can’t reach the lamp,” Yeosang admitted.

Jongho laughed, earning a glare from Yeosang. “Sorry, love.” Jongho stopped laughing, looking around for a store attendant, only to find out there were none in sight. Jongho wasn’t much taller than Yeosang, but he did work out every day. “Well, you can hop on my back.”

Yeosang turned redder, “what?”

“Just hop on my back, I can lift you up and you can grab the lamp.” Jongho explained, “I won’t drop you, I promise.”

Yeosang blinked, “fine, only if you don’t even think about dropping me,” he said. Jongho knelt down, waiting for Yeosang to do something.

Yeosang gently mounted himself onto Jongho’s back, “okay, you can lift me up now.” Jongho complied, slowly standing up. Yeosang reached for the lamp, grabbing it and bringing the box close to his chest. The stayed like that for a moment, “you can put me down now,” he added.

Jongho smiled, “sorry, you just looked so perfect up there. In the light, I mean.” He se Yeosang down slowly, pulling Yeosang in for a kiss.

“You’re such a sap,” Yeosang complained.

“But I’m your sap, aren’t I?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Jongho and Yeosang returned from the furniture store with arms full of shopping bags, “you better help me put these things away.” Yeosang warned teasingly, causing Jongho to tickle his sides in response

“You think so low of me, love.” Jongho replied, “where should we start?”

“The bedroom?”

“Sure.”

(⋆☆⋆)

As weeks passed, it because quite apparent that Yeosang and Jongho were so in love, it almost hurt. But, there was still a looming list of things they hadn’t accomplished just yet, like meeting each other’s parents.

Yeosang and Jongho sat outside in the scorching sun, underneath their new umbrella that Yeosang insisted they install, due to the hot and dry Australia summers. Yeosang sat, reading a book with his head resting on Jongho’s chest.

“What would you say if I asked you if you wanted to meet my parents?” Jongho asked hesitantly, as if he were afraid the words would bite Yeosang in the face.

Yeosang shrugged, “I would tell you tell you that I love you, and that I’d be more than happy to meet the people who raised the best boy in the world.” He replied, smirking softly. Jongho was the one to blush this time, hiding behind a quiet chuckle.

“So, to recap, you’re fine with meeting my parents?” Jongho asked for extra reassurance, he knew his life wasn’t as messy as it could be, but it was always good to ask. Yeosang nodded, leaving Jongho with the task of calling his parents. “I have just one request, though.”

Yeosang tilted his head, “what is it?”

“Be as affectionate as you want, please.”

Yeosang chuckled, “noted. Anything else?”

Jongho sighed, “if they freak you out, I humbly apologize. My family’s a bit messed up.”

“Your parent’s house is huge,” Yeosang said, eyes wide in awe, as they walked up the moonlit path to the house’s front entrance. The house was a light salmon color, adorned with thick vines that reminded Yeosang of a rainforest he had seen in a travel catalog.

Jongho hummed, “that’s what happens when your dad is a world-renowned CEO,” Jongho grumbled, pushing a lock of black hair behind his ear.

Yeosang went quiet, they had never talked about Jongho’s family money before, it just hadn’t come up. They made it to the front door just in time for Jongho to be greeted by an elderly man, one whose face looked worn by time and care. “Ah, Master Jongho, you’ve come to visit again, I presume?” His tone was friendly, like he knew Jongho for more years than Yeosang could count.

Jongho bowed, “Minjun, it’s good to see you again.” He replied, gesturing to Yeosang, who looked as awkward as ever. “This is my boyfriend, Yeosang,” he added. Yeosang didn’t say anything in the moment, but he loved the way the title rolled of Jongho’s tongue, it felt good to be official.

Jongho and Yeosang entered the house, Yeosang. noticed Jongho rigid posture, and leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek, remembering what Jongho said earlier about showing as much affection as he wanted. Minjun—who Yeosang assumed was the butler—led them down a dark hallway, a hallway that Jongho seemed to recognize.

There were pictures and framed magazine cutouts of a woman on the walls, Yeosang figured it was Jongho’s mom. There were a few family pictures, a few consisting of four people, but the rest contained only three. “Right this way, gentlemen.” Minjun gestured to a dimly lit room, brightened only by an array of flickering candles. A man and a woman sat at the table in the center of the room, postures straightening as Yeosang and Jongho walked into the room, hand in hand.

Jongho’s parents stood up, stiffly walking over to Jongho to give him a shallow hug. Their smiles lifted as they saw Yeosang, “ah, Jongho, who is this handsome young man?” His mother asked, wrapping Yeosang in a bone-crushing hug.

“Mom, dad, this is my boyfriend, Yeosang.” Jongho introduced him with pride, a bright smile occupying his face.

His father shook Yeosang’s hand, “nice to meet you.” The air felt stuffy, reeking of unresolved tension, but Yeosang paid it no mind, he was there to support Jongho, and to get to know people he might be seeing often.

At the table, Jongho’s parents made sad attempts at starting a conversation, and they eventually landed on the topic of families, the worst topic they could have brought up. “So, Yeosang, do you visit your parents often?” Jongho father asked, looking at him expectantly.

Yeosang nodded, “I try to visit my mom as much as I can, but she still lives back in Toronto, so work stops me from going as much as I want to.”

Jongho’s mom nodded, “I understand. Sometimes our life gets in the way of our true dreams,” she added. Yeosang had no idea what she meant, but he smiled and nodded along.

It was halfway through the dinner when Minjun walked back into the room, and Yeosang saw Jongho sigh, like Minjun being present brought comfort. “I apologize for interrupting your dinner, but he called.”

The room went silent, and the smell of unresolved tension returned, but it was worse. Jongho’s parents looked at each other nervously, wordlessly communicating about what to do. Jongho’s dad chuckled awkwardly, “just tell him that we’ll call back in a few hours.” Minjun nodded, leaving the room. Yeosang could do nothing but give Jongho a reassuring smile.

The rest of dinner felt different, like a big secret loomed over them like a dark cloud would prey on clear skies, quiet, but deadly. Yeosang fixed his tie for the tenth time that night, trying to distract himself.

Dinner finally ended, and Yeosang couldn’t have been happier, in all honesty. Jongho held Yeosang’s hand tightly as they bid goodnight to Jongho’s parents and Minjun, and Jongho kept looking over his shoulder as they waked to the car.

Once they were seated, Jongho spoke. “Was it too much?”

Yeosang hummed, “maybe.”

Jongho sighed, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not what they said,” Yeosang said, “it’s more of what they didn’t say that bothered me.” He added, “the entire time it felt like they were hiding something.”

Jongho stayed quiet, starting the car. “I understand, but I’m glad we got that out of the way. You know, in case I do get the privilege of marrying you someday.”

Yeosang tried to hide it, but even in the darkness of the car, Jongho could still see Yeosang’s pink face. “It wouldn’t be much of a privilege,” Yeosang replied quietly, hoping that Jongho didn’t hear.

Jongho gasped, “are you kidding? I would cry if I got the chance to marry you, because I’d be even luckier than I am now.”

Yeosang chuckled, filling the car with a happy feeling, replacing the old feeling of dread and doubt. “Hey, Jong?”

“Yeah?”

Yeosang drummed his fingers against his leg, the gentle ring in his ear getting louder. “When the butler walked in during dinner and said that someone called, who was it? Why did your parents act so scared?”

Jongho turned onto the highways, fingers tightening around the wheel. “Well, by he, they mean that my twin brother called.”

Yeosang raised an eyebrow, “you never told me that you have a brother.”

Jongho frowned, “I know, I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to burden you. You know, that one day you told me about your mom, and you said that you didn’t want to burden me—now I’m worrying about burdening you—”

“It’s okay, Jongho. We all have baggage, remember?”

Jongho took a deep breath, “okay. When I was younger, my brother was always starved for attention, my parents didn’t seem to care about him as much, since they thought I was going to be more successful, than him, at least.”

“When we turned eighteen, I was off to college, but he started getting into a lot of bad stuff, and one day—he was driving while he was high and got into a serious car accident. My parents didn’t care, and they haven’t talked about him since, unless they’re calling him a disgrace.” Jongho finished, a tear threatening to slip out of his eye.

Jongho parked the car on the ramp, switching it off. Yeosang pulled Jongho into a hug, running his hands through his hair. “I love you, Jongho, estranged twin or not. Your parents may not care about him, but you do, I can tell.”

Yeosang kissed him slowly, running his hand across Jongho’s cheek. “Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out together, I promise.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“It’s almost my mom’s birthday,” Yeosang said, setting his book down on the ground to give Jongho a kiss. Jongho smiled, raising an eyebrow. “I’m going to Toronto to see her, do you want to come with me? I know she’ll really like you.”

Jongho leaned into the beach chair, leaving a kiss on the top of Yeosang’s head, “of course, I want nothing more than to meet the woman who raised the best boy in the world.” He said teasingly, planting a kiss on Yeosang’s neck. The sun shone down onto Jongho’s hair, causing Jongho to shield his head from the harsh rays.

Yeosang smiled, “that’s what I said.” He whispered, “we need to go this week, though. I don’t to miss her birthday,” Yeosang added. Small birds landed on Yeosang’s legs, not seeming to care about his movements.

Jongho chuckled, “looks like you’re a big hit with the honeyeaters.” He said, reaching out to pet the head of the remaining one. “Huh, I thought it would’ve flown away by now,” he added, “I guess it just likes people.”

Yeosang thought for a moment, “we could leave later this week, it’s a twenty hour flight from here to Toronto, I can get someone else to cover for me during that time.” The bird moved up to Yeosang’s arm, using it as a perch.

“Wow, the bird still hasn’t left yet.” Jongho whispered. “Want to name him?” He chuckled, rubbing the bird’s head with his thumb. The bird chirped, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Yeosang thought for a moment, “look, it’s injured.” He ran his thumb along the bird’s blood-stained wing, “what about Chip?” The bird seemed to like the name, because it perched itself on Yeosang’s shoulder. Jongho and Yeosang looked at each other, silently thinking about what to do with their airborne friend, “do you think our apartment would allow birds?”

Jongho shrugged, “it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

So, their apartment ended being home to three, instead of two—Jongho, Yeosang, and their new companion, Chip. The lady at the front desk said that as long as Chip didn’t go around killing other animals or damaging property, he could stay as long as he liked.

Yeosang ended up having to beg Wooyoung to watch over Chip while he was gone, because Chip was an injured bird, and Yeosang didn’t want anything to happen to him. Wooyoung complied, but only after Yeosang bribed him with a new video game.

(⋆☆⋆)

“Wow, look at all of the water.” Jongho said, “everything looks so small from up here.” He murmured, looking down at the small specks of blue and green that vaguely resembled the mighty forests and rivers that they knew so well.

Yeosang set next to him, looking down at his shoes. Jongho leaned his head on his hand, “penny for your thoughts?”

Yeosang chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s nothing, I’m just really excited for you to meet my mom.” He replied, “I can’t believe we’ve gotten this far, Jongho.”

Jongho raised an eyebrow, “what do you mean?”

Yeosang sighed, “I’ve never been in a relationship before.” He said, “and for my first one to last this long, and for you to be...perfect—” Jongho kissed him gently, closing his eyes and tilting his head.

They apart long enough for Jongho to smooth out his shirt, “well, for the record, this is my first relationship, too.” He added, “even so, I’d like to think that you’re more perfect than I am.” He said, “would your mom mind if we brought flowers, like, lilies?”

Yeosang’s eyes widened, “wow, she actually loves daisies, how did you know?”

Jongho shrugged, “lucky guess?”

(⋆☆⋆)

“I’m nervous,” Jongho whispered, clutching the bouquet of flowers tightly in one hand, while holding Yeosang’s hand in the other.

Yeosang smiled, “don’t be, my mom’s pretty cool.” He replied, “I’ve talked so much about you, there’s no way she’ll have a problem.”

Jongho sighed, “that makes me feel a little better.” He said quietly, “I’m just so happy that you trust me enough to introduce me to your mother, even after I introduced you to my nuthouse of a family.”

Yeosang chuckled, “I told you, Jong, you’re not your parents.” He assured, “I love you for you, not who you were raised by.”

Jongho pressed a kiss to Yeosang’s lips, giving him a gentle smile. “Thanks, my love.” The reached their destination—a room decorated with pale blue paint, small, marked pictures of Yeosang and his mom on the wall. “Is this it?”

Yeosang nodded, “are you ready?” Jongho could only nod, holding Yeosang’s hand tightly as they entered the room. Yeosang’s mom laid in a bed, the bedside table holding a vase filled with wilted flowers.

Jongho gave her a smile, hand still intertwined with Yeosang’s as they walked to her side. She reached out to touch Jongho’s face, “such a handsome boy,” she whispered. Yeosang smiled brightly, rubbing Jongho’s shoulder.

Yeosang hugged her tightly, “happy birthday, mom.”

Yeosang had gone out to refill the water in the vase, leaving Jongho and Yeosang’s mom alone in the room. “I like you for Yeosang,” she began, “he needs someone like you, strong, caring, someone who really looks out for him.”

Jongho, who had been looking down at his hands awkwardly, started up at her, a smile blooming on his lips. “Thank you, Ms. Kang.”

“Please, call me Chunhei, Jongho.” She grinned earnestly, she lowered her voice, “Yeosang has never really been able to let love in.” She said, “you’re his first relationship, you know.” Jongho nodded, thinking back to what Yeosang told him on the plane.

Yeosang came back into the room holding a vase full of fresh water, “I’m back, did anything happen while I was gone?” He asked, raising an eyebrow in Jongho’s direction. Jongho’s face changed in color slightly, as he shook his head.

Yeosang chuckled, sitting down. He stopped laughing when his mom cleared her throat, “has Yeosang told you about what he did when he was younger?”

“Mom!”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Welcome back, Jongho.” Jongho looked up at his boss, gently tapping his foot against the desk. “We’ve missed you here, how was Toronto?”

Jongho stared off into the distance, eyes narrowing onto a bird sitting on the windowsill, it reminded him of Chip. He cleared his throat, “really good, it’s beautiful there.”

His boss hummed, “so, I’ve reviewed possible candidates for relocation.” He began, “I have a spot open in Paris, are you interested?” The bird flew away, off into the distance, and Jongho turned his attention back to his boss.

“Yes, absolutely.” Jongho stopped twiddling his fingers, his hands falling to his sides, “thank you.”

His boss nodded, “no need to thank me, we’ll send you the details shortly, enjoy your time there.” He paused, “are there any loved ones going with you?”

Jongho’s heart felt warm, his cheeks nearly burned from smiling, “yeah, my boyfriend.”

Jongho entered the apartment, single rose in hand. “Sang?” He called, causing Yeosang to emerge from their shared room.

“Jong, you’re back.” Yeosang wrapped Jongho in a hug, “how was work?”

Jongho pressed a lasting kiss to Yeosang’s lips, then to his forehead. “Good, my love. How was school?”

Yeosang snorted, “a lot of labs, ten out of ten would not recommend.” He looked at Jongho’s smile inquisitively, “you’re awfully happy today, did something happen?”

Jongho swept Yeosang off of his feet, just like the first time they met—but quite literally. Jongho lifted Yeosang off the ground, “remember that relocation thing I applied for? The one that would take me to Paris?”

Yeosang smiled slyly, “yeah, why?”

Jongho set him down gently, “I got in, we’re going to Paris.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Hey, Jongho?” Yeosang padded into Jongho’s study, standing bedside Jongho’s chair. Jongho stood up, taking Yeosang’s hand and leading them to their bedroom, it was like he knew something was wrong.

Once they had settled into bed, Jongho spoke again, “what is it, Sang?” Yeosang went quiet, the lump in his throat growing slowly.

“My mom.” He said simply, “they said she would recover. They lied.”

Jongho gasped softly, trying his best to hide his surprise. “What happened?”

“She’s getting worse, Jong, when they said she would be getting better.” Yeosang said, “I just—I don’t know what to do.”

Jongho stayed deafeningly quiet for another minute, before wrapping his arms around Yeosang. “I’m sorry. She’ll get better, I promise. You’re the strongest boy I know, and I know you’re strong enough to conquer this and get through it.”

Yeosang sniffed, “thanks, Jongho. I love you,” he whispered.

Jongho buried his face in Yeosang’s hair, “I love you, too.”

(⋆☆⋆)

To Yeosang, the hardest thing about moving was leaving his friends, even though the age of technology was upon him, and interactions were just one click or swipe away. Although going to Paris was honestly going to be the best thing that had ever happened to him, Yeosang couldn’t help but feel sad.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Wooyoung said sadly, hugging Yeosang so tight he was sure he couldn’t breathe. They pulled apart, as Wooyoung wiped a tear from his eye.

Yeosang’s hand remained on Wooyoung’s arm, “I’ll miss you too, Woo.” He smiled, “I promise I’ll call.”

Wooyoung scoffed, “you better.” He smirked, “when you and Jongho are getting married, I better be invited to the wedding.”

Yeosang laughed, face slowly turning back to its normal color. “Of course.”

For Jongho, he had never had to leave a place before, and even when he did, he had never left for a long period of time. Australia had been his home his entire life, but he decided to look on the bright side, Paris would be an amazing place to live, too.

“I’ll visit, okay?” Jongho repeated for the tenth time, attempting to escape San’s strong hold. San shook his head, hugging Jongho tighter.

“You better visit us, we’re going to be depressed without you.” San deadpanned, “especially me.”

Jongho chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I promise. I’m not even leaving yet, there’s one more thing I have to do.”

Back at Jongho and Yeosang’s apartment, the couple were tasked with one last loose end to tie up before the left—letting go of Chip. Chip had resided in their apartment for a month, and Yeosang was sure that the bird’s wings had healed, and that releasing it would be the right thing to do.

Chip sat on Yeosang’s shoulder, as if it was hesitant to leave. Jongho crushed a cracker between his fingers, holding it out in front of him. “Here, Chip, it’s time for you to fly free.” Yeosang said gently, trying to coax the bird off his shoulder.

The bird squawked, slowly inching off of Yeosang’s shoulder. Jongho smiled as Yeosang held the bird in his hands, lifting it off into the sky. Chip flew around Yeosang’s head for a moment, circling around Jongho and Yeosang as if it was contemplating leaving or not.

After a moment, it flew away into the sunset. Yeosang waved as it looked back at them for a moment, silently thanking them for its stay. “I guess that’ll be us tomorrow, then.” Yeosang said, “be ready to get up before dawn, the flight’ll take a day.”

Yeosang stayed true to his word, it was only five hours into the flight, and Jongho already wanted to walk off of the plane. Yeosang was fast asleep, but Jongho still noticed the bags under his eyes, and the nearly invisible tear stains on his cheeks.

“Greetings, passengers, we are approaching the runway, please fasten your seatbelts.” Jongho looked out at the skyline, eyes glistening with wonder. He could see the Eiffel Tower from his seat, surrounded by green trees and tall buildings behind it.

They were finally there, they had finally reached Paris.


	2. sang.

Yeosang hated new places. Maybe it was just the nerves of having to readjust, or the fact that he had traveled to a new city nearly halfway across the world—maybe it was the killer jet lag. Paris was beautiful, with its blue skies and long rivers.

Yeosang settled in well, he thought, for someone who had moved around a few times. Paris was going to take some getting used to, though. Yeosang nervously picked at his nails, he figured it was better than biting them.

The doors to the new clinic were huge and inviting, below large glass windows Yeosang could see into. There was a boy his age in his unit, Yeosang had heard about it from his boss-to-be. Yeosang approached the front desk, “hi, I’m the new transfer from Australia.”

The man at the front desk smiled, “awesome, welcome to the team.” He disappeared into a room, returning with a coat and badge. “You’re starting today, obviously, so you might want to talk to Hongjoong.”

Yeosang slipped the coat on, clipping the badge on his pocket, “who’s that?” The man chuckled, turning off his computer.

“He’s the same age as you, you’ve probably heard of him, but he’s just kind of a mentor for the newbies around here.” The man said, “he’s really nice, ask him to show you around.”

Yeosang nodded, “I’ll do that, thank you.” He exited the office, realizing then that the man at the desk didn’t tell him where he needed to go. “That’s helpful,” he muttered, debating on whether or not to ask someone for help.

A boy with strawberry pink hair rushed past him, kneeling down to tie his shoe. Yeosang caught a glimpse of his name tag—Hongjoong. “Hey, are you Hongjoong?” Yeosang asked, looking at Hongjoong with an nervous expression on his face.

Hongjoong smiled brightly, “that’s me!” He extended his hand, “you’re the new transfer, aren’t you?”

Yeosang nodded, “that would be me.” He shook Hongjoong’s hand, silently thanking the universe for making Hongjoong as nice as he was. “Kang Yeosang, nice to meet you.”

Hongjoong hummed in acknowledgment, “Kim Hongjoong.” He replied, “we’re going to be seeing each other a lot, now. Every day. That is, if you’re in the neurology department.”

Yeosang looked down at his shoes, “yeah, I am.”

Hongjoong’s grin got impossibly wider, “cool! I’ll show you around, I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“I made a friend at work today,” Yeosang announced over dinner, “his name is Hongjoong, and he’s in the same department as me.” He took a sip of his water, gently setting his fork down on his napkin.

Jongho rubbed his hand, “I’m so glad you’re adjusting to the move well, Sang. I was hoping it’d be easier for you, since you’ve moved around more than I have.”

Yeosang nodded, “it hasn’t been completely easy, I’ve still been missing Australia.” He sighed, “but it’s so fun here, and work’s been great.” He smiled, even in a crowded restaurant, Jongho still managed to make him feel safe and at home. “How is settling in going for you?”

Jongho shrugged, “there’s this fun guy in my department, he’s really tall, too.”

Yeosang chuckled, “what’s his name?”

“Mingi,” Jongho replied, “he talks a lot, so I learned a lot about him on break. He’s engaged to this guy named Yunho, apparently he’s a lawyer.” He continued, “he’s nice, and we’re going to be working together for a long time.”

Yeosang smiled, “I’m glad you’re settling in. After all, you said it yourself, you haven’t moved around much.”

Jongho sipped his wine, “touché.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Jongho?”

Jongho looked up from his computer, “hm?”

Yeosang eyed Jongho carefully, thinking about whether of not to ask him the question he had been thinking about asking him since the day they moved in. “Are you a virgin?” He asked bluntly, almost too bluntly, he thought, as Jongho choked on his spit and looked at Yeosang incredulously.

“Yes, why?” He whispered, looking at Yeosang with wide eyes. Yeosang smirked, it felt good to know he wasn’t the only one.

Yeosang shrugged, “I don’t know, I am, too.” He replied, trying to best not to make Jongho feel embarrassed, “I was just wondering, if you ever wanted to do anything with me—”

“I’ve always felt grossed out by that kind of thing,” Jongho began, and Yeosang nearly deflated, “but ever since I met you, I haven’t been thinking that way anymore. I would only want to do anything if you wanted to.”

Yeosang nodded slowly, “okay, just asking.” He looked out of the window, eyes narrowing on a few birds that were flying outside their window. “I miss Chip,” he said, “I wish we had a pet.”

Jongho turned around, wrapping Yeosang in a hug, “do you want one?” He asked softly, leaving a soft kiss on Yeosang’s cheek.

Yeosang nodded, “yeah. Does this apartment allow puppies? I could really use a puppy right now.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Welcome to the Second Chances pet rescue center, how may I help you gentlemen?” The man at the office smiled gesturing to the many animals in cages, “are you two here to adopt or to volunteer.”

Jongho stepped forward, “yes, we are, actually.” He held Yeosang’s hand tightly, “do you have any puppies?” He tapped his foot against the tile floor, waiting for the man’s answer. The man nodded, gesturing for Jongho and Yeosang to follow him.

Yeosang looked away from Jongho, trying to hide the pout on his face. It always hurt him whenever he saw stray animals outside, or when he saw struggling animals in shelters—he was just very sensitive in that way.

They passed a lot of cages, and Yeosang felt his chest tighten as he saw cats and dogs that lacked owners. They stopped at a small cage that held a small Pomeranian puppy. Yeosang’s eyes widened, “he’s perfect.”

The man raised an eyebrow, “how’d you know it’s a boy?” He opened the cage, holding the dog in his arms.

Yeosang shrugged, he figured that he had half a chance at guessing the animal’s gender right, anyway. “Lucky guess?”

The man nodded, “he doesn’t have a name, so that’d be up to you guys if you did adopt him.”

Jongho at Yeosang with a slight smile on his face, “so, what do you think?” He asked, “do you want to take him home?” The rescue worker handed the dog to Yeosang, who stared it it with wonder in his eyes.

Yeosang nodded slowly, “yeah, let’s do it.”

Yeosang held the dog in their arms while Jongho loaded everything they needed into the car. Jongho sat in the front seat, closing the door. “What do you want to name him?” Jongho asked, gently scratching the dog behind the ears.

“What about Chip? In honor of the bird we had,” Yeosang explained, “he just looks like his name could be Chip.”

Jongho chuckled, “okay, Chip it is.” They began their drive home, and Yeosang’s eyes felt heavy. “Are you tired? You can sleep, I’ll put Chip in his cage, it’s going to be a bit of a ride.” He said, leaving a small peck on Yeosang’s forehead.

Yeosang nodded, “okay.” Jongho stopped the car, lifting Chip out of Yeosang’s arms. He set the animal inside the cage, starting the car again.

“Sleep well, Sang.”

(⋆☆⋆)

Yeosang rubbed his eyes, he hated long shifts. He envied Hongjoong sometimes, but only the times when Yeosang was stuck with aiding other doctors with surgeries that seemed to take much too long.

The only thing that kept his drooping eyes open was the thought that the next day, the weekend would arrive, and he would go to dinner with Jongho, and hopefully spend his first real night with him.

Yeosang arrived home, happy to be out of his stuffy doctor’s coat. It was Jongho who was waiting for him, instead of the other way around. “Welcome home, my love.” Jongho greeted softly, rising from the couch to wrap Yeosang in a gentle hug.

Chip came running down the stairs, barking wildly. Yeosang chuckled, allowing the dog to lick his face. “I’m glad to be back, Jong.”

Jongho guided Yeosang to the couch, sitting beside him. “How was work?” He asked curiously, hand resting atop Yeosang’s own.

Yeosang smiled tiredly, “it was alright.” He began, “I helped out with a surgery today, which was what I did all day.”

Jongho hummed, he admired Yeosang’s work ethic, how he was never afraid to help people, no matter how hard it was. “That’s good to hear, that you’re getting to help with bigger things. How did it go?”

Yeosang grinned, “really well, the operation was a success.” He replied, resting his head on Jongho’s shoulder.

Jongho ruffled his hair, “I’m glad, but I had no doubt it would go well, you were helping, anyway.” A light blush painted Yeosang’s cheeks, spreading to his ears.

Yeosang chuckled, “you’re just being nice, I’m not that good of a surgeon yet.” He said earnestly, “I hope to be that good one day, though.”

Jongho pressed a kiss to Yeosang’s lips, “you will be, I’m sure of it.” He replied, “I love you so much, Yeosang.”

Yeosang looked at Jongho tiredly, a quiet sigh falling from his lips, “I love you, too.”

(⋆☆⋆)

Yeosang awoke the next day, to the lulling sound of Jongho’s breath against his ear. He pushed a lock of hair out of his boyfriend’s eyes, “good morning, babe.”

At that, Jongho opened his eyes. “Babe? That’s a new one.” He said slyly, pecking Yeosang on the lips.

Yeosang made a face, “what, do you not like it?” He pouted, jutting out his bottom lip.

Jongho shook his head, “no, I love it.”

Yeosang smiled, “what’s the plan for today?” He asked, “I need to get groceries, and I need socks.” He said, “I have to do that all before dinner tonight.” He mumbled, resting his head on Jongho’s chest.

Jongho smirked, “I’m sure you’ll find the time.” He said, “I have to go and get my suit from the dry cleaners, anyway. You have yours, right?”

Yeosang nodded, “yeah, I do.”

“You’ll look amazing,” Jongho murmured. Yeosang turned red, shaking his head. Jongho rolled out of bed, taking Yeosang with him. Yeosang just shook his head, muttering something about Jongho being insatiable as he walked out of the room.

Yeosang had finally finished the day’s errands, and he let out a sigh of relief as he walked through the warm October air, hands shoved in his coat pockets. His phone rang, and he reached into his pocket to retrieve it. “Hey, Jong. What’s up?”

He heard Jongho chuckled from the other side of the line, “nothing much. I just finished my errands, what about you?”

Yeosang hummed, “yeah, me too. Pick me up?”

“Absolutely.”

Yeosang scanned the restaurant, “this is new one.” He murmured, “did you pick it out yourself?” Since Yeosang and Jongho were new to the Paris scene, they had yet to figure out the city’s ins and outs.

Jongho held his hand tighter, “yeah, I did. Do you like it?”

Yeosang nodded, gazing at the chandeliers and antique furniture. “It’s beautiful, nice choice.”

Jongho smiled, “I’m glad you like it.” He replied, allowing the waiter to guide them to their table. Jongho pulled out a chair, “after you, my love.” Yeosang chuckled, taking his seat.

They ordered, after a while of Jongho mulling over the night’s specials. Jongho leaned his head on his hand, “what are you thinking about, my love?”

Yeosang shrugged, “you.” He answered simply, Jongho laughed. “No, really! I’ve been thinking about how much my life has changed since I met you, and how thankful I am that you’re in my life.” He said, a smile spreading across his lips.

Jongho rubbed Yeosang’s cheek, fingers grazing Yeosang’s lips. “That’s a lot to think about,” he murmured. “I like that, though.” He added, “I think about that a lot, too, about how much you’ve changed my life since I met you at the art gallery.”

Jongho tucked a strand of hair behind Yeosang’s ear, causing Yeosang to lower his head, smiling shyly. “Jongho?” Yeosang looked around, making sure no one was listening. Jongho tilted his head, “hm?”

Yeosang took a breath, “could we—maybe—do something later?” He stuttered through his words, which Jongho found odd, Yeosang usually never stuttered.

“Like what?” Jongho asked, thanking the waiter as their food arrived.

Yeosang shook his head, “never mind.”

Jongho was unsatisfied with Yeosang’s answer, “no, Sang, you meant to tell me something. You can tell me anything, you know.”

Yeosang’s face flushed, “I know, it’s fine.” He lowered his voice, “I’ll tell you later, when there are less people around.” He smirked, earning a raised eyebrow from Jongho.

(⋆☆⋆)

“So, how was dinner?” Jongho asked, arm linked with Yeosang’s as they walked into the elevator. Yeosang bit his bottom lip, resting his head on Jongho’s shoulder.

“It was great, thank you.” Yeosang replied quietly, pressing the button that would take them up to the tenth floor.

Jongho gently ran his hand through Yeosang’s hair, holding Yeosang against his chest. “You’re welcome, Sang, I mean, I didn’t really do anything.”

Yeosang chuckled, “you did, though, you picked the restaurant.” He smiled, “you need to give yourself more credit.”

“I try,” Jongho mumbled. They arrived at their floor, and Jongho gave Yeosang a sly wink. “I’ll race you to the apartment,” he whispered, making a mad dash to their shared apartment, with Yeosang at his heels.

He opened the door, skidding into their bedroom, Yeosang following soon after. Yeosang smiled, “looks like you won, Jong.” He said, pushing Jongho down onto the bed and probing at his sides. Jongho laughed, hands coming to rest on Yeosang’s hips. Jongho raised his hands in surrender. Yeosang leaned down, lips close to Jongho’s ear, “cheater.”

Jongho gasped, “you’re just jealous that I won.” He retorted, resting his head on his hand and his weight on his elbow.

Yeosang rolled his eyes, “you won unfairly,” he replied. He licked his lips, “I think I need a compensation prize.”

Jongho eyed his carefully, hand lifting up to brush against Yeosang’s lips. “That can be arranged,” he whispered, closing the constricting gap between them. Yeosang moved on top of him, gently pinning Jongho down on the bed.

They pulled apart, lips redder than before. “I can’t believe this is happening, Jong.” Yeosang murmured, eyes glistening under the shine of the full moon, “that you’re real, that I’m living this.”

Jongho smiled, “I know, my love.” His lips moved to Yeosang’s neck, tongue gliding over the skin. “I’ll get to love you like this forever, I hope,” he added. Yeosang bit his lip, gasping as Jongho moved their position, his hands resting on Jongho’s back.

“I haven’t ever done this before,” Yeosang said. “Sorry if I’m bad at this.”

Jongho chuckled, shaking his head, “It’s okay, Sang, I haven’t, either.” Yeosang whined quietly at the feeling of Jongho’s warm lips on his neck, Jongho pressed his lips to Yeosang’s, sliding his tongue inside his mouth. “You taste so sweet, Sang.”

Yeosang’s eyelashes fluttered gently at the praise, “oh, Jong.” He moaned as Jongho sucked a mark into his skin, “I need you, please.”

Jongho stopped, looking at Yeosang carefully, “are you sure, Sang? We don’t need to do this if you don’t have to,” he added, mind drifting to the dark possibility that maybe Yeosang didn’t want be tied down to Jongho for the rest of his life.

“I want to be with you forever, Jong, please.” Yeosang whined, body tensing under Jongho’s touch. “Touch me anywhere, just stay.”

Jongho’s eyes widened, “Sang, I would never leave.” He pulled off his shirt, fingers hovering over Yeosang’s buttons cautiously, “I just can’t believe you’re here. Sometimes I wonder if you’re real or not.”

Yeosang lifted his hand to rest on top of Jongho’s, helping him unbutton his shirt and slide it off. “I’m real, Jong.” He slipped off his pants, “I’m real and I’m right here.” He pulled off Jongho’s pants, “I’m all yours.”

His body ached for Jongho’s touch, it seemed like Jongho sensed it, too. Jongho slowly dragged his thumb over Yeosang’s lips, Yeosang’s breath hitched, Jongho brought their lips together, Yeosang’s fingers slipped into Jongho’s hair in response. Jongho’s lips ghosted over Yeosang’s neck, pressing slow kisses into the skin.

Jongho reached into their bedside drawer, uncapping a bottle, pouring its contents over his fingers. “Are you sure this is okay?” He asked quietly, voice unsure.

Yeosang nodded, “more than okay, of course.” Jongho slipped a finger inside of Yeosang, who arched his back, moaning loudly. “Add more, please.” Jongho added another finger, enjoying the way Yeosang threw his head back, lips swollen and face flushed.

Jongho curled his fingers, pushing them in as deep as he could. “One more?” He asked, earning a quick nod. He added a third finger, “are you ready?”

Yeosang nodded, allowing Jongho to flip them, so that Jongho rested on top of him, his arms the only thing separating them. “Wait,” Yeosang mumbled, “can you just—your fingers, can I suck on them, please?”

Jongho nodded, lifting his fingers to Yeosang’s mouth, “you don’t even need to ask, love, anything for you.” He slipped a finger into Yeosang’s mouth, “are you sure you want to do this?”

Yeosang nodded, tongue eagerly sliding over Jongho’s finger. Jongho reached over to his pants again, tearing open a package, Yeosang whimpered at the loss of Jongho’s touch. “Jong,” Yeosang whined. Jongho kissed Yeosang’s forehead, looking at him as if he possessed the world.

Jongho uncapped the bottle again, Jongho slowly slid into Yeosang, causing Yeosang to let out a shaky sigh. “Ah, Jongho.” Yeosang breathed, nails sinking into Jongho’s back.

Yeosang bit his lip, staring with wide eyes as Jongho pushed in fully. He moaned quietly. Jongho began to thrust into Yeosang slowly, Yeosang moaned loudly, panting with his lip between his teeth. “Touch me, Jong.” Jongho complied, holding Yeosang’s hips as he moved. Sweat dripped down Yeosang’s forehead as Jongho pushed another finger past Yeosang’s parted lips.

“That’s it, Sang, you’re doing so well.” Jongho said, as Yeosang’s tongue darted around his mouth, wetting his lips.

Yeosang’s breath hitched as Jongho smirked, thrusting a bit faster than before. Yeosang’s heart fluttered when Jongho sent him a dazzling smile, his hair sticking to his forehead.

It was then that Yeosang felt himself getting close, “oh, Jong, please, more.” Yeosang moaned, Jongho smirked.

“Be patient, love.” Jongho replied, Yeosang released with a whine, Jongho not long after. Yeosang panted for a moment, before looking at Jongho hungrily. Jongho looked down at Yeosang, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. “Sang, I love you so much.”

Yeosang smiled, pulling Jongho closer to him, “I love you, too.” He purred, stroking his cheek. Yeosang looked at Jongho with love in his eyes, wrapping his arms around him and breathing in his scent. “You know, Jong, you’re the love of my life.”

Jongho kissed Yeosang’s forehead, “and you’re mine, I wouldn’t trade loving you for the world.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Hey, Hongjoong.” Yeosang greeted, slipping on his lab coat. “Either your hair got brighter or my eyes are deceiving me.”

Hongjoong chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “It did, yeah.” He picked up a needle, carefully sterilizing it with a pair of tweezers. “Seonghwa said that he really likes my pink hair, so I dyed it pink again.”

Hongjoong and Yeosang had become quite close, close enough for Hongjoong to tell Yeosang about his love life, and his boyfriend named Seonghwa that Hongjoong was absolutely head-over-heels for.

Yeosang smiled, “that’s cute.” He said, “is he nice?” He asked, even though knew Hongjoong’s answer.

Hongjoong smiled dreamily, “the nicest.” Yeosang laughed, he found it sweet how all Hongjoong talked about was Seonghwa whenever Yeosang happened to mention him.

“So, what are you planning to do over the break?” Yeosang asked, preparing a syringe for a shot. “I’m disappearing to a cabin for a few days, if that’s anything.”

Hongjoong sighed, “I’m going to Italy with Seonghwa, we’re supposed to be going to an island. It’s beautiful, from what I’ve seen, even though I’m not a big fan of water.”

Yeosang nodded, “that sounds fun, I hope you have a lot of fun,” he replied.

“I hope you do, too.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Is that it?” Jongho asked, loading what he hoped was Yeosang’s last bag into the car. Yeosang nodded, taking his seat on the passenger’s side. Jongho took his seat beside him, staring back at their apartment, “are you ready to get away from people for the next couple of days?” Jongho asked, starting the car.

Yeosang hummed, “absolutely. I love my job, and being here, but who wouldn’t need a break sometimes?” He looked out the window as Jongho began to drive, eyes flitting over the passing cars and buildings.

They passed many people on their journey, many trees, plants, and animals. Yeosang could rest easy knowing that Jongho’s friend, Mingi, and Mingi’s boyfriend, Yunho, would be taking care of his beloved Chip for the week.

After an hour and a half of driving, the couple finally reached their destination—a modern, barrel shaped cabin tucked away into the middle of the woods. Yeosang stepped out of the car, Jongho trailing behind him. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Jongho asked, hand intertwined with Yeosang’s. Yeosang could only nod.

Yeosang got settled in quickly, and they decided to have dinner by the fire in the living room. “It’s so quiet up here, no one for miles.” Yeosang murmured, disappearing into the dining room to set his plate in the sink.

Jongho followed behind him, placing his plate on top of Yeosang’s. “I know, it’s so peaceful.” They held Yeosang’s hand as they walked back to the living room, and sat together on the couch in front of the fire, side by side.

Yeosang smirked, “I’m going to get something.” Jongho heard Yeosang open the door to their room, and he came back with a deck of cards.

“What are those for?” Jongho asked, as if Yeosang were about to reveal that he had been practicing magic in his free time.

Yeosang began shuffling the deck, “they’re tarot cards, I’m going to do a reading for you.” He said simply, holding the cards out to Jongho. “Pick three cards, don’t think much about it, though.”

Jongho nodded, pulling three random cards from Yeosang’s hands. He handed them back to Yeosang, who laid them out on the couch. He closed his eyes, flipping them over one by one. The first card showed an illustration of an angel pouring water between two cups, it read _temperance_. A woman in a chariot, guarded by a pair of sphinxes filled the second card that read _the chariot_. The last card illustrated another woman pouring water into a lake and onto the grass beside her, and read _the star_.

Yeosang opened his eyes, voice lowered to a near whisper. “Prepare yourself for an encounter that will make your heart beat faster, the chariot and temperance cards have a good effect on your relationship, and you have experienced love at first sight. After a while, you are now seeing your ambitions and efforts turn into reality, with the help of the star, and your loved one by your side.”

Jongho stared at Yeosang in awe, jaw nearly hitting the floor. “Where did you learn to do that?”

Yeosang shrugged, “my mom taught me. Did any of that make sense?” Jongho could only nod.

(⋆☆⋆)

Seasons passed, and it was as if Yeosang didn’t even notice. Fall had passed in what seemed like the blink of an eye, and winter’s cold clutches had grabbed Paris in its harsh hold. If there was one thing Yeosang really missed about Australia, it was going to the indoor garden that Jongho liked to take him to during the summer.

So, the search for a new garden began. Yeosang started looking for arboretums, botanical gardens, and everything in between. He finally landed on a greenhouse that was pleasing to the eye, but also reviewed to be peaceful and quiet.

Yeosang had arrived home before Jongho, which was not uncommon. He heard the quiet swing of the door, signaling that Jongho had entered the apartment. “Hey, Sang, I’m home.” Yeosang stood up, pressing a kiss to Jongho’s lips.

Jongho smiled, “good to see you, too.”

Yeosang buried his face in Jongho’s neck, “I picked a good place for our next date.” He mumbled, a small chuckle leaving his lips. “You’ll really like it, I hope.”

Jongho smiled, “I’m sure I will.”

After another hard week, another week where it felt like Yeosang’s feet carried heavy weights, the weekend arrived. Yeosang was the one in the driver’s seat, instead of Jongho. “So, where are we headed?” Jongho asked, looking out of the window.

Yeosang smirked, “I’m not telling you until we get there.”

Jongho whined, “why not? Not even a hint?”

Yeosang laughed, shaking his head, “nope, you’re just going to have to wait.” Jongho pouted crossing his arms, and as much as Yeosang wanted to give in, he did not. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, daring not to look at Jongho’s puppy eyes.

They arrived shortly after, and Yeosang couldn’t have been happy enough. “We’re here, Jong.” Yeosang looked at Jongho with a fond smile on his face, gently pushing a lock of hair out of his boyfriend’s eyes.

Jongho grabbed Yeosang’s hand, pulling him into a kiss. Yeosang whined quietly, tangling his finger’s in Jongho’s hair, “Jong, c’mon.” They pulled apart, Jongho gently biting Yeosang’s bottom lip as they parted.

They walked into the greenhouse, as Yeosang held his hands over Jongho’s eyes. “Are you ready?” He asked, excitement bubbling in his stomach.

Jongho nodded, causing Yeosang to smile. Yeosang removed his hands from Jongho’s eyes, waiting for his reaction. Jongho gasped, “it looks just the one we used to go to.” He murmured, eyes taking his in surroundings.

Yeosang nodded, “I know, that’s why is picked it.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“How’s Yunho?” Jongho asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee before offering one to Mingi, who nodded gratefully. Mingi sniffed, and Jongho couldn’t help but feel bad for him, he hated spring allergies.

Mingi smiled at the mention of his fiancé, “he’s good, really good.” He replied, “he’s been pretty excited about wedding preparations, he loves planning things.” Mingi continued, “it’s cute, how much he cares.”

Jongho chuckled, lifting his cup to his mouth. “It is his wedding, isn’t it?” Jongho asked, sarcastic tone oozing through his words.

Mingi spared Jongho a raised eyebrow, “what about you? How’s your love life? If you even have one.” Mingi added teasingly, earning a glare from Jongho.

“For your information, my love life is going swell, I love Yeosang more than anything else in the entire world.” Jongho replied, a quiet huff escaping his lips. He turned his head as a baby bird whizzed past the window, he chuckled, shaking his head.

Mingi laughed, “dude, relax, we all know Yeosang is your soulmate.” Mingi said, typing something into his computer.

Jongho looked surprised, “what? Who told you that?” He asked, hands coming to rest on his hips. Mingi shrugged, taking an agonizingly long sip of his coffee before speaking again.

“Some guy downstairs, told me about it on lunch break.”

Jongho sighed thoughtfully, “huh, I guess I’m going to have to thank him, then.”

(⋆☆⋆)

At long last, the end of spring had come. The season where Yeosang’s mild allergies turned into boxes of used tissues, and the sweet smell blooming flowers filled the air. Spring was also the nerve-wracking time when it was decided whether or not Yeosang would be getting a promotion, and the time Yeosang dreaded the most.

“Do you think we’re going to get it? The promotion, I mean.” Yeosang asked thoughtfully, Hongjoong hummed.

“Maybe, I think I’ve been working hard this past year.” Hongjoong replied, “if I do, I’m sure Seonghwa will be proud of me.” He added, foot tapping against the floor as they waited for their boss to arrive.

Yeosang rolled his eyes playfully, “Hongjoong, I think Seonghwa will be proud of you no matter what you do.” He said, eyes widening as their boss walked in through the door, thick book in his hands.

Yeosang and Hongjoong went quiet, watching as their boss opening his book. “So, Hongjoong and Yeosang.” He began, “you two have shown great promise, even though Yeosang is still quite new. You two have shown amazing work ethic, and that is why I have chosen to give you two your promotions.”

Yeosang gasped, “really?” His eyes widened in disbelief, “are you serious?”

Their boss smiled, placing a hand on Yeosang’s shoulder. “Yes, I’m serious.” He replied, “keep up the good work.” He left the room, leaving Yeosang and Hongjoong to gush together.

“Can you believe it?” Hongjoong asked, Yeosang shrugged.

“Honestly, not really.” He replied, fingers tightening around the phone in his pocket. Sure, he had been working hard, but the last thing he expected was for someone to care or notice. “I’m happy, though.” He added, “I think I’ll call Jongho now.”

Yeosang dialed Jongho’s number, holding the phone to his ear. “Hello, Sang?” He heard Jongho’s honey-sweet voice from the other side of the line, it made his heart skip a few beats.

“Hey, Jong.” Yeosang said quietly, “you would not believe what happened today.”

Jongho chuckled, “enlighten me, my love.”

“I did it, I got the promotion.”

Jongho gasped, “Sang, I’m so proud of you. I knew you would do it,” he added. “You’re amazing.”

Yeosang smiled, “I honestly don’t know how it happened, but I’m happy anyway.” Yeosang ended the call with a smile on his face, earning a smirk from Hongjoong.

“So, Yeosang, are you free this weekend?” Hongjoong asked, leaning his arm on the counter.

Yeosang shook his head, “yeah, I have nothing going on.”

Hongjoong sighed thoughtfully, “do want to go to the beach with Seonghwa and I? It’s supposed to be really nice, and you can bring Jongho, of course.”

Yeosang thought for a moment, then shrugged, “okay.” He replied simply, “I need to get to the lab, can you text me the details?”

Hongjoong nodded, watching as Yeosang walked out of the room and into the hallway.

(⋆☆⋆)

After enduring the rest of the week, which involved a lot of Yeosang getting to know the new people he would be in charge of, as well as coming home to Jongho being more tired than usual, but he figured it was just the changing of seasons.

Yeosang gently moved Jongho’s black hair out of his eyes, something he had become accustomed to doing the moment he woke up. “Good morning, Jong.” Yeosang whispered, a quiet laugh escaping his lips as Jongho opened his eyes.

“I love waking up to you,” Jongho murmured, thumb grazing Yeosang’s cheek. Yeosang leaned into the touch, a smile spreading across his lips.

“I love waking up to you, too.” Yeosang replied, “as fun as that is, we need to get moving if we’re going to meet Hongjoong and Seonghwa on time.”

Jongho groaned, rolling out of bed and nearly landing on the floor. “Do I have to? Can we just go back to being antisocial?”

Yeosang’s chuckled, “trust me, babe, I wish.” He disappeared into the bathroom, “Hongjoong’s pretty awesome, though, and from what I’ve heard, Seonghwa is nice, too.”

Jongho pouted, “at least it’ll be warm today.”

Yeosang nodded, “that’s the spirit!”

After a struggle of sorts to get Jongho out of the house, they finally arrived at the beach, Jongho carrying their bags and Yeosang beside him. Yeosang waved to Hongjoong, and Jongho smiled awkwardly.

Hongjoong smiled, standing up to give Yeosang a hug. Seonghwa shook hands with Jongho and Yeosang, introducing himself. They set up their towels, and Seonghwa began talking to Jongho about something, Yeosang used that as an opportunity to slip back over to Hongjoong. “Wow, Seonghwa’s a gentleman.”

Hongjoong smiled, “yeah, he is.”

Yeosang talked to Hongjoong for a while, just about how life outside of work was going, and the occasional comment about their intimate relations. Yeosang saw Jongho wading into the water, “hey, babe, can I join you?”

Jongho nodded, gesturing for Yeosang to come over to him. Yeosang left Hongjoong on the beach, stepping into the water and holding onto Jongho as tightly as he could. Jongho pressed a quick, fleeting kiss to Yeosang’s head, “what are you thinking about?” He asked, “because I’m thinking about how this water is freezing my legs.”

Yeosang laughed, “I’m definitely not thinking about that. I was just thinking about how lucky I am, you know? I have an amazing boyfriend, cool friends, I love my job.”

Jongho smiled, “I stopped listening at _amazing boyfriend_.” Yeosang gasped, flinging a handful of water at Jongho. Jongho’s eyes widened, throwing water into Yeosang’s hair. Yeosang was relentless, and Jongho ended up soaking wet, and with the reminder not to pick fights with Yeosang if he wanted to live.

“Guys, let’s play volleyball!” Yeosang shouted, making his way back to the sandy beach. Hongjoong walked over to him, offering to help with setting up the net. Yeosang learned that Hongjoong was better at volleyball than he let on, and the two ended up back at their towels, watching Jongho and Seonghwa’s pathetic attempts at making a sandcastle.

Jongho took off his shirt, much to Yeosang’s chagrin. Yeosang’s face turned bright red, and he wasn’t fully sure if the was blushing or he had gotten sunburnt. “You’re really suffering, huh?” Hongjoong asked, snickering quietly.” Yeosang pouted, glaring in Jongho and Seonghwa’s direction.

“Of course I am! Wouldn’t you be?” Yeosang retorted incredulously, taking a sip of his water. Hongjoong shrugged, taking off his sunglasses.

“No, it isn’t that big of a deal—” Hongjoong’s breath hitched as Seonghwa took of his shirt, shooting Hongjoong a smile. “Okay, you know what? Scratch that.” Seonghwa winked, Hongjoong’s face flushed red and he quickly shoved his glasses back on his face.

Yeosang chuckled, “told you.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Jong?” Yeosang walked into the dining room, hands glued to his sides. Jongho already had his eyes fixed on Yeosang, he regarded him with a small nod and a smile. He blew his nose, gingerly placing the tissue into the trash can.

“Hey, love, what’s up?” He asked, “is everything okay?” Yeosang look at him, clearly surprised.

Yeosang nodded, “great, actually.” He went quiet, “Jong—my mom, she’s all better.” He said, waiting for Jongho’s reaction. Jongho stood up, hugging Yeosang so hard that the air nearly left Yeosang’s body.

“Love, that’s amazing, I’m so happy.” Jongho whispered, “I knew she would get better, Sang, how do you feel?”

“Happy, so happy.” Yeosang replied, “more importantly, how do you feel? Are you still as sick as you were yesterday?”

Jongho shook his head, “no, I’m sure it’s just my fall allergies.”

(⋆☆⋆)

Jongho groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. His newest case was one of the hardest he’d been assigned, and he was stuck with a different partner instead of San, who he was used to sharing his cases with.

“How are you doing with the mafia case?” Jongho asked, “any leads?”

Mingi shook his head, “I wish. Hwanwoong has been searching up and down for clues, but it just seems like where aren’t any.”A cold gust of wind blew through the wind, Mingi shivered.

Jongho nodded, he knew what _that_ felt like. “Same for me, I feel like every time I’ve got something, someone dies or my lead fizzles out.”

“It’s like you’re me,” Mingi said. He smiled, playful glint in his eye, “do you want to come over for dinner this weekend? Yunho and I just moved into this new apartment, and we haven’t had guests over yet.”

Jongho nodded, “sure, can I bring Yeosang?”

Mingi beamed, “of course! Significant others are always encouraged.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“So, Yeosang, what are your plans for this weekend?” Hongjoong asked, opening a new bag of otoscope tips.

Yeosang sighed, “Jongho and I are going to dinner with this other couple.” He said, “Yunho and Mingi, I think.” Hongjoong made a noise, not one that Yeosang could discern.

Hongjoong coughed, “huh, Seonghwa and I are going to dinner with them this weekend, too.”

Yeosang smiled, “it’s a small world, isn’t it?” Hongjoong nodded, “how does Seonghwa know them?”

“Yunho works at his law firm, they’re pretty good friends, I think.” Hongjoong answered, “I told Seonghwa that we’re basically married and he got so flustered, it was cute.”

“You two are so perfect, it’s sickening.” Yeosang said, running his hand through his hair. “How do you have time to be so domestic?”

Hongjoong made an offended face and huffed, “you and Jongho are, too. You guys never fight,” he countered. “I’m willing to bet that you two are more domestic than Seonghwa and I are.”

Yeosang shrugged, “that’s not even true—and you and Seonghwa don’t fight, either.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Hongjoong replied, sighing in defeat.

“No, no you can’t.” Yeosang finished, turning on his heel and walking back down the hallway. Hongjoong sighed, shaking his head, Yeosang was truly something else.

(⋆☆⋆)

“Do we _have_ to go?” Yeosang whined, “I haven’t even left the apartment, and I want to go home.” Jongho rolled his eyes affectionately, placing the shoe polish back in the cabinet.

“Yes, my love, I promised Mingi that we’d come to dinner. He’s really excited to meet you, and he just got married.” Jongho explained, gently wrapping an arm around Yeosang’s waist.

Yeosang groaned, hiding his face in Jongho’s neck, “fine.”

Jongho smiled, “are you ready to go?” Yeosang nodded, slipping out the door.

Yunho and Mingi’s apartment looked amazing, and beautifully decorated. The large chandeliers shone in the light, and the modern furniture stained with warm colors gave the apartment a cozy atmosphere. “We moved in recently, a few months ago.” Yunho explained, arm wrapped tightly around Mingi’s waist.

“But it’s already so beautiful!” Yeosang exclaimed, glancing at the walls, which were covered with gold-framed pictures from the renaissance era.

Mingi smiled, bowing slightly, “thank you, I’ve been getting into house decoration these past few months.”

Yunho gestured to the opening leading through the kitchen and into the dining area, “please, take your seats—I have been taking cooking classes.”

“What do you do, Mingi?” Seonghwa asked, taking a bite of his food.

“I’m a detective,” Mingi answered, “I’ve been on the force for a while now.”

“He’s the best detective on the force,” Yunho said teasingly, rubbing Mingi’s hand. Mingi’s face flushed, looking down at his plate.

Everyone at the table laughed, taking sips from the bottle of champagne that Yunho opened. “Yunho, you’re a lawyer, too, aren’t you?” Yeosang asked, giving Yunho a questioning look. Yunho nodded, glancing at Seonghwa.

“So, everyone, Hongjoong and I are pleased to announce that we’re both becoming fully licensed doctors, the banquet will be in the summer.” Yeosang said, smiling as Jongho smiled proudly.

Jongho grasped Yeosang free hand tightly, giving him a smile that Yeosang had only seen a few times, but it made him feel safe, like he mattered.

Seonghwa gasped, “aw, Hongjoong, I’m so happy for you two!” He kissed Hongjoong’s cheek, while Mingi held up a glass.

“To Hongjoong and Yeosang,” he said. Everyone repeated after him, clapping loudly. Jongho looked at Yeosang lovingly, and Yeosang felt as if his heart were about to burst out of his chest.

There was a large grand piano in Yunho and Mingi’s living room, it sat next to the large stained glass window. “Seonghwa can actually play the piano really well,” Hongjoong said, taking another sip of his champagne.

“Play something for us, Seonghwa.” Yunho said, hand running through Mingi’s hair. Mingi leaned into the touch, nodding along with his proposition.

Seonghwa sighed, walking over to the piano and positioning his hands. The tune he played was haunting, enough to draw Hongjoong in, mesmerized by his hand movements. His hands moved swiftly across the keys, like magic.

Although Seonghwa’s music was enough to draw anyone closer, Jongho could only focus on Yeosang. He felt so fond, he loved Yeosang more than anything he had ever tried to love before. He rubbed Yeosang’s hand, mouthing a silent _I love you._

Seonghwa finished his song and was immediately showered with praise, Hongjoong rushed up to him to give him a kiss. “If you were a pianist, I’d be your biggest fan.” He whispered, allowing Seonghwa to ruffle his hair.

“Thank you, Joong.” Seonghwa intertwined their fingers, pressing a kiss to Hongjoong’s forehead.

Yeosang groaned, “get a room!” He grimaced as Seonghwa pressed a kiss to Hongjoong’s lips, but not before turning to Jongho.

“I love you, too.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“I have a favor to ask of you,” Hongjoong asked.

Yeosang pushed his hair out of his face, “lay it on me.” He mumbled, wheeling a patient into another room.

Hongjoong followed beside him, “Seonghwa and I are going to a retreat this weekend, and I need someone reputable to take care of my cat.”

Yeosang gave Hongjoong a look, “how would that even work out? I have a dog.”

Hongjoong shrugged, “I trust that you‘ll make it work.”

One thing that Yeosang learned during the following days, was that taking take of a dog was _not_ the same as taking care of a cat.

“Milo, get back here!” Yeosang raced through the halls, “that bone was not for you.” He leaned down, cornering the cat and gently picking it up. “Come on, I made food for you, Hongjoong said you like tuna.”

Jongho chuckled, “how’s taking care of Hongjoong’s cat?”

Yeosang glared at him, “have you come to gloat?” He set Chip’s bowl of tuna on the floor, turning to Jongho with a scowl on his face.

Jongho shook his head, “no, my love, I’ve come to help you.” Chip raced into the room, causing Milo to hiss. “Boys, get along!”

Chip growled, and it looked at if the two animals were getting ready to fight each other. Jongho picked Chip up, “into the bathroom you go.”

Yeosang held Milo in his arms, gently rocking him back and forth. The cat hissed again, but returned to his normal happy state at the sight of Chip having left the room. Yeosang chuckled, “oh, you’re definitely Hongjoong’s cat.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Wow, Sang, you did it.” Jongho murmured, picking lint off of Yeosang’s suit. “You’ve worked so hard, and I’m so proud of you.”

Yeosang smiled, “thank you, Jong. I did have to survive copious amounts of calculus for this, so I’m glad it’s paying off.”

Jongho placed a peck on Yeosang’s cheek, “go out there and become a doctor, I’ll be in the audience, my love.”

“Now, these two young doctors in training have persevered through the hardest of times, and surgeries, and have both shown an amazing work ethic. Please welcome Kim Hongjoong and Kang Yeosang!” The announcer moved aside, leaving room for Hongjoong and Yeosang to stand.

Yeosang grinned as the announcer handed them framed certificates, Yeosang caught Jongho gazing at him from his spot in the audience, and he saw Seonghwa staring at Hongjoong with invisible hearts shooting out of his eyes.

Hongjoong stepped up to the microphone, and he began to speak. Yeosang was sure that Hongjoong was wooing the crowd, he always found something interesting to talk about. As interesting as Hongjoong was, Yeosang honestly thought that focusing his attention in Jongho sounded better.

Jongho looked handsome, as usual. His brown eyes glistened in the elegant fluorescent lighting of the dining hall, and his sat in his lap—delicately folded. His black hair didn’t cover his eyes, but stayed parted on either side of his face. Yeosang could barely take his eyes off of him, even though it was almost his turn to speak.

Hongjoong passed the microphone to Yeosang, and Yeosang took a deep breath. He locked eyes with Jongho, who gave him a smile of encouragement.

“Honestly, I’ve dreamt of this day more times than I would like to admit. Ever since I was young, I’ve always wanted to help people, which my mom found weird, considering that i had told her many times that I hate people.” The audience laughed, and Yeosang continued. “As much as I’d like to thank every person that has helped me along this journey, there are a select few that have gone above and beyond, making my years learning calculus worthwhile.”

“This wonderful clinic and medical school have played a big role in my path to becoming a doctor, and have made my once-grueling days ones to look forward to. But above all, I owe most of my remaining sanity to my boyfriend, Jongho, who’s made me feel a little less alone, and has helped me put myself together on the nights I couldn’t do it myself.” He raise da hand, “here’s to legal surgeries.”

The audience cheered and clapped, and a smiled spread across Yeosang’s. He had finally completed his goal, he had fulfilled his quest he had set for himself since his youth.

“Well, Yeosang, we’ve finally done it.” Hongjoong said, leaning back in his chair.

“I can’t believe it,” Yeosang replied, “oh, Hongjoong?”

“Yeah?” Hongjoong looked at Yeosang lazily, looking at the time on the TV. Yeosang’s eyes traveled to the red bruise on the side of Hongjoong’s neck, and he chuckled.

“You’ve got a big, red mark on your neck.”

(⋆☆⋆)

Although summer had truly just begun, it felt like the season had reached its peak. The air was warm and sweet, wrapping Yeosang in its tight clutches. It was a sunny Saturday, and Yeosang made the executive decision to make Jongho go to a fair with him.

“I must admit, this is very fun, my love.” Jongho said, holding Yeosang hand tightly as they walked past the colorful lights and stalls.

Yeosang chuckled, “I just can’t believe you’ve never been to a fair before.” He murmured, Jongho shrugged.

“Strict parents,” he replied simply, “it’s more magical now that I’m experiencing it with you.” Jongho added smoothly, watching Yeosang’s face turn red in the dim light of the fading day. “What do you want to do now?”

Yeosang looked around, eyes catching on the Ferris wheel. He dragged Jongho to the line, “so, you’ve never been to a fair before—have you ever ridden a Ferris wheel?”

Jongho shook his head, “nope.” He looked up at the wheel, that stood taller than most structures he’d seen in his lifetime. “Is it safe?”

The fair worker gestured for them to take their seat, “you never know.” Yeosang replied slyly, allowing the worker to lock them in.

Jongho stared at him with wide eyes, “what?” The wheel began to move slowly, and Jongho felt his feet slowly rising off the ground.

Yeosang smiled, “sometimes you just need to take chances in life, Jongho—you only live once.” The saying sounded familiar, Jongho was sure he had heard it before. The wheel turned further, enough that Jongho had a clear view of the moon through the clouds.

The ride brought them to the top, and Jongho contemplated whether the ride was as bad as it thought it was. He could see the top of the city from where they where, but more importantly, Yeosang’s side profile looked stunning in the moonlight. The ride stopped abruptly, too suddenly for Jongho’s taste. “Sang, what’s going on?”

“Riders, we regret to inform you that the ride has stopped, please stay calm as we figure out how to fix the problem.” Jongho’s eyes widened, eyes drifting to the ground below, it felt way farther than it truly was.

Yeosang looked over at him, blonde hair fanning across his face. “Jong, are you afraid of heights?”

Jongho nodded slowly, “just a little, it’s not that bad though.” He turned to Yeosang, interlocking their fingers. “Looks like we’re going to be up here for a while, huh? We could talk about our days, or—”

Yeosang cut him off with a kiss of the lips, gently grabbing the collar of Jongho’s short in an attempt to pull him closer. They pulled apart, both slightly out of breath. Yeosang smirked, “yeah, we will be up here for a while.”

(⋆☆⋆)

“Yeosang, would you ever get married?” Jongho asked, walking into the living room with an angry-looking Chip at his heels.

Yeosang nodded, “absolutely.” He replied, looking at Jongh sheepishly. “Only to you, though.” He raised an eyebrow, “why do you ask?”

Jongho smiled, “just wondering.”

Yeosang smirked, “what about you? Would you ever get married?”

Jongho nodded, “yeah. I mean, we’ve been dating for three years, you’re the only person I’d even think about marrying.”

Yeosang blushed, “sometimes my love for you gets overwhelming.”

(⋆☆⋆)

Park Seonghwa was the last person Yeosang thought would come to him for advice, especially love advice. But Yeosang would have felt horrible if he refused to tell Seonghwa anything, more so if the subject was Hongjoong—his best friend.

“So, what are you thinking?” Yeosang asked.

“I don’t know much about this, so I didn’t know who else to ask. You’re his best friend, maybe you can help me.” Seonghwa explained, twiddling his fingers.

Yeosang leaned back in his chair, “alright then, ask away.”

Seonghwa sighed, “I want to propose to Hongjoong, we’ve been dating for three years now, and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”

Yeosang grimaced, then smiled, “yuck, you two are perfect for each other.”

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow, “says the one with a more domestic relationship than ours.”

“Touché,” Yeosang replied, even though he knew that wasn’t true. Seonghwa sighed, why did he tell Hongjoong things?

“Now, I don’t know anything about jewelry, what kind of ring should I get for Hongjoong?” Seonghwa asked, scratching his head.

Yeosang thought for a moment, “Hongjoong is a very simple boy, but on the inside, he does enjoy flashy things sometimes. I recommend that you get him a diamond ring, but make sure it’s not too flashy, he would think that’s tacky. Hongjoong needs a ring that is a pleasant mix of the two,” Yeosang said.

Seonghwa stood up, determination in his eyes, “thank you so much, Yeosang. Hongjoong’s lucky to have a friend like you.” The compliment warmed Yeosang’s heart, he worried he wasn’t the best friend he could be, sometimes.

“You’re welcome, anything for the future husband of my best friend.” Yeosang replied, saluting Seonghwa softly.

(⋆☆⋆)

Jongho found himself stuck in a similar situation to the one that Yeosang found himself in the previous week, but the roles had been reversed. Instead, he found himself at a cafe, with San on the other side of the phone.

“I had to stop kissing Wooyoung for this, hurry up.” San said jokingly, Jongho scoffed.

“I’m sorry I interrupted your make-out session, San, my condolences, but this is important. Tell Wooyoung to hold on for a few minutes.” Jongho replied, “I’m going to propose to Yeosang, but I don’t know what kind of ring I should buy.”

San laughed, “I think you should be asking Wooyoung about this, here, I’ll put him on.”

Wooyoung interjected, “I’m here. So, Yeosang is far from being a simple guy—normal diamonds wouldn’t suit him. He would want something elegant, something unique, maybe a diamond of a different color.”

Jongho nodded, “thank you, Wooyoung. I promise I’ll invite you two to the wedding.”

Wooyoung chuckled, “you better.”

“You can go back to your make-out session now.”

“I was planning on it.”

“So, you want to marry my son?” Yeosang’s mom asked sternly, eyes narrowed in on Jongho’s face. Jongho chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Yeosang’s mom was in town, as Jongho figured it was the perfect time to bring up his master plan.

Jongho nodded, “yes, Ms. Kang, marrying your son is a dream of mine.” Yeosang’s mom went quiet, silently thinking over Jongho’s announcement.

“Make it happen, then, Yeosang would be a fool not to want to spend the rest of his life with you.” She replied earnestly, “you’re a good boy, Jongho, and you’re the best thing in Yeosang’s life, I trust you’ll take good care of him.”

Jongho nodded quickly, “I promise.”

She nodded, “make sure to invite me to the wedding.” She winked, laughing as Jongho’s face turned red.

(⋆☆⋆)

Jongho didn’t consider himself a ring enthusiast, and sitting at the jeweler’s with infinite options being thrown at him didn’t make him feel any better. “Sir, would this work?” The jeweler held up a rose gold band, embellished with intricate silver designs and smaller teal diamonds, complete with a larger diamond in the middle.

Jongho nodded quickly, “yes, that’s the one.” The ring screamed Yeosang, it was everything Wooyoung said—elegant, and very unique.

The jeweler grinned, “good choice.” He placed the ring in a box, “best of luck, really.” He handed Jongho a small bag, “the person is very lucky.”

Jongho took the bag gingerly, “thank you, I hope it goes well.”

Yeosang didn’t suspect anything when Jongho asked him to accompany him to the the garden, it had become part of their little routine. Jongho felt around for the small box in his pocket, his proposal had to be perfect.

“Jongho, what are you thinking about?” Yeosang asked, eyes twinkling in the dim light of the greenhouse. Jongho leaned back, pressing a gentle kiss to Yeosang’s lips.

“A lot of things,” he replied. “How I’m head over heels in love with you, how we fit together perfectly, and how you’ve made me a better man.”

Yeosang blushed, “wow, I love you, too.”

Jongho continued, “you’ve made me feel like I’m the king of the world, and I’ve wanted to treat you like you’re everything to me, because you are. I’ve fallen for you so hard it almost hurts, and it’s been like that ever since that night at the gallery.”

Tears welled up in Yeosang’s eyes, they looked like crystals in the soft fluorescent lights. “I love more than anything, and I’ve been wanting to ask this question for a while.” He slipped the box out of his pocket, sinking to one knew. “Kang Yeosang, would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

Yeosang nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes. Jongho slipped the ring onto his finger, “Choi Jongho, you’re my soulmate.” He whispered, hugging Jongho tighter than ever before, arms locking Jongho in his loving hold. “I’d be honored to be able to spend the rest of my life with you. With you, I feel like it’s possible to love someone, and I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you.”

Jongho smiled, holding Yeosang’s face in his hands as he closed the gap between them.

(⋆☆⋆)

Although the mere thought of marrying Jongho made Yeosang feel like a giddy teenager, there was a still one step left in his journey of finding eternal happiness. He was going to spend the rest of his life with the one person who showed him what true love felt like, that was the hard part. Being the best man at Hongjoong’s wedding was still hard, but slightly less so.

“One hour and you’ll be a married man, Hongjoong.” Yeosang said, fixing Hongjoong’s hair for the tenth time that day.

Hongjoong smiled, “and I can’t be any more happier about it.”

“I can’t believe that we’ve made it this far, Hongjoong, I’m pleasantly surprised. I never thought I’d make it far enough to see you become a doctor, let alone be here to see you finally married.” Yeosang said, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

“You’re honestly the best friend someone can have, Yeosang, and I’m glad that you’re here to celebrate this with me, thank you for staying by my side all these years.” Hongjoong admitted, wrapping Yeosang in a hug.

“Enough of this mushy stuff, get out there and get married!” Yeosang pushed Hongjoong out into the aisle. Seonghwa was already standing at the altar, waiting for Hongjoong with his eyes filled with stars. Yeosang smiled, his heart felt warm.

The audience went quiet as Hongjoong slowly walked down the aisle, eyes narrowly avoiding Seonghwa’s gaze. The officiant stood, waiting for him. Hongjoong took his place, shyly looking at Seonghwa out of the corner of his eye.

“Welcome, thank you all for coming here on this beautiful summer day to celebrate the union of two amazing individuals, Kim Hongjoong and Park Seonghwa. I’ve officiated many weddings in my career, but, truthfully, I’ve never been as excited for a wedding as I am for this one.” He said, gesturing to the audience.

“To provide a brief summary of their love story, Hongjoong met Seonghwa on the train, one fateful day. Hongjoong was finishing his residency, and Seonghwa was, and is, an established lawyer here in Europe.” The officiant began.

“Both of their lives were complete, but at the same time, they weren’t. Every since that day on the train, Hongjoong and Seonghwa have been hopelessly devoted to each other, which is how they ended up here today.” The officiant continued, shifting in his spot. “Now, Kang Yeosang has something to say.”

Yeosang nervously stepped up to the altar, grabbing the microphone from the officiant’s hand. “Thank you. Now, I’ve known Hongjoong ever since college, and trust me, we were in college for a very long time. We followed each other through residency, and that whole time he insisted that he’d be single forever. He was supportive of me when I met my fiancé—Jongho.”

“Then, we became licensed doctors, and I told Hongjoong that I was getting married. Actually, Seonghwa came to me for advice before he proposed to Hongjoong, for the record. I feel like the proudest friend alive, and nothing will ever beat that feeling, please support the new couple, and have an amazing rest of your lives.” Yeosang said, clearly directing his last comment at Hongjoong and Seonghwa.

The officiant continued talking, but all Yeosang could feel was proud. “Having pledged your love and promise to one another today, in front of all your friends and family and by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you legally married!” Seonghwa wrapped his arm around Hongjoong’s waist, bring their lips together. Hongjoong held onto Seonghwa’s neck, tilting his head.

They pulled apart, long enough for the officiant to clap, “congratulations!”

Later, at the after party, Hongjoong cornered Yeosang by the wine. “Fiancé?” He asked, pulling Yeosang into a bone-crushing hug.

Yeosang chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, but it doesn’t matter, today’s about you.”

Hongjoong laughed, “you’re more important.” He countered, “when’s the wedding?”

Yeosang shrugged, placing a hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder, “I promise I’ll text you the details as soon as I have them, but the wedding is in August.” He went quiet, “and I’m making you my best man.” Hongjoong smiled, “well, one of them.”

(⋆☆⋆)

The big day had arrived, the day that would mark Yeosang’s eternal union with Jongho—the boy who he’d do anything for. Yeosang and Jongho had agreed on an outdoor wedding, since they had chosen August as the month of their wedding.

Yeosang felt like he was floating, everything seemed to move in slow motion. “how are you feeling, now that it’s your big day.” Hongjoong asked, gesturing to the audience waiting for Yeosang’s entrance.

Yeosang shrugged, “in all honesty, scared. I’m so glad that you and Wooyoung could make it to the wedding, it feels great to have all of my friends here.”

Hongjoong smiled, “yeah, he’s cool.” He hugged Yeosang tightly, “I’m so happy for you, Yeosang. Trust me, married life isn’t as hard as people say it is—nothing actually changes, there’s just a different title on your relationship.”

Wooyoung walked over to them, “he’s right. It’s okay to be nervous, but Jongho loves you more than anything, you’ll be perfectly fine.”

Yeosang sighed, “you’re both right. I’ve known him for three and a half years, but it feels like I’ve known him my entire life.”

Wooyoung placed a hand on his shoulder, “go out there and get married. We’ll be right there, ready to embarrass you.”

Yeosang’s heart beat quickly, so loud that he could almost hear it, as he walked down the aisle. Jongho stood sat the end, lovestruck smile plastered across his face. Yeosang smiled, taking his place across from Jongho.

The officiant—some guy that worked for Jongho’s family—stood in front of the audience, holding a book in front of him. He waited for the exited chatter of the crowd to cease, and began his speech. “Please take your seats, everyone.”

“Friends, family, and loved ones—we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Kang Yeosang and Choi Jongho. Jongho and Yeosang met at an art gallery, one fateful night, as have been struck in the heart by love ever since. They have taken care of each other, and have spent a large portion of their lives showing each other what it’s like to be loved.”

“While marriage can bring days that are challenging, it is also brings about days full of happiness, of unconditional love and passion. Marriage is a not just a certificate, it is the bond that people share, and only you are the ones able to make marriage a reality. Now, I welcome Jung Wooyoung and Kim Hongjoong.” The audience clapped, allowing Wooyoung and Hongjoong to stand at the altar.

Wooyoung cleared his throat, “I’ve know Hongjoong for more years than I can remember, all of which he swore he would be single forever, so you can imagine my surprise when he told me he was seeing none other than my boyfriend’s friend—Choi Jongho.”

“In all honestly, they’re perfect for each other, it’s almost sickening.” He continued, “I feel nothing but happiness for them, and I wish them the best, and I hope that the rest of their lives are nothing but beautiful and magical, even if there are some off days.”

The audience clapped once more, and Wooyoung handed the microphone to Hongjoong. Yeosang saw his mom in the audience, smiling wider than she had ever smiled after her treatment. Jongho parents sat near his mother, sitting stiffly, legs crossed.

“I’ve only known Yeosang for a year and a half—but he has still managed to make that time some of the best in my life. Yeosang has supported me ever since I mentioned my relationship with Seonghwa, I speak for everyone when I say that Yeosang and Jongho deserve the best life together, and I hope they get nothing less.” Hongjoong said, handing the microphone back to the officiant.

“We have reached the beginning of the vows, Yeosang and Jongho, join hands, please.” Yeosang clutched Jongho’s hands tightly, never wanting to let go. “Yeosang, do you take Jongho to be your husband?”

Yeosang sighed, “I do.”

“Jongho, do you take Yeosang to be your husband?” The officiant asked, eyes drifting to Jongho’s hands.

Jongho nodded, “I do.” The officiant brought out the rings—silver bands carved with intricate designs, embellished with the same teal diamonds as the engagement ring.

The officiant smiled, “your rings represent a promise to each other, an unbreakable bond.” He turned back to Jongho, who slipped the ring onto Yeosang’s finger. “Repeat after me; Yeosang, I give you this ring as a symbol of the promise I made to you today.”

“Yeosang, I give you this ring as a symbol of the promise I made to you today.” Jongho repeated, nervously glancing at his parents, who paid him no mind.

Yeosang slipped the other ring onto Jongho’s finger, rubbing his hand as a way to stop Jongho from having a heart attack. “Repeat after me; Jongho, I give you this ring as a symbol of the promise I made to you today.”

“Jongho, I give you this ring as a symbol of the promise I made to you today,” Yeosang repeated, intertwining their fingers.

“Having pledged your love and promise to one another today, in front of all your friends family, and loved ones—by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you legally married!” Yeosang practically lunged forward, pulling Jongho into a kiss.

The crowd cheered as they pulled apart, including a few disgusted nodded from Wooyoung. “On a scale of one to ten, how chaotic is this wedding? Jongho asked.

Yeosang thought for a moment, “a good six.” He replied, “but in a good way.” He pressed a kiss to Jongho’s lips, “I love you so much, Jongho, you make me the best I can be.”

Wooyoung raised a fist, “I say copious amounts of alcohol are in order.”

Jongho held Yeosang in his arms, slowly swaying his hips to match Yeosang’s movements. “well, my love, this is it, we’re married.” Jongho murmured, “what do you think?” Yeosang looked perfect, blonde hair swept away from his face, _Sang_ , his love—his husband. “Do you regret it yet?”

Yeosang chuckled, shaking his head and holding out his hand, watching as the ring sparkled in the light. “Choi Yeosang, it’s got a nice ring to it.”


End file.
